Low pressure in Bay of Bengal to bring rains in AP, Odisha, Bengal: IMD

A low pressure area, the third in a month, formed over the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday and it is expected to bring heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal in the next three days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It said conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, northern West Bengal and Sikkim, Jharkhand, the remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, northern Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, and the remaining parts of Gujarat during the next two to three days.

The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon has been delayed this year.

"A low-pressure area has formed over central parts of Bay of Bengal today, the morning of October 20. It is very likely to become more marked and move initially northwestwards during next 48 hours and then north-north eastwards during subsequent three days," the IMD said.

IMD director Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the low pressure area will bring rains over Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal during the next three days.

It will move towards Odisha coast and then recurve causing heavy rainfall in northeast India from October 22-24, he added.

The low-pressure area is likely to cause rains in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal during the Durga Puja. Though the system is likely to move towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, south-westerly wind flow will enhance in West Bengal, resulting in the probability of rain.

"Isolated very heavy rainfall (115.6-204.4 mm/day) is also likely over coastal Odisha and adjoining areas of coastal West Bengal on October 22. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy showers may occur in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on October 23 and over Assam and Meghalaya on October 24.

Formation of a low pressure area is the first stage of any cyclone. However, it is not necessary that every low-pressure area intensifies into a cyclone. It is packed with heavy winds and rains.

This is the third low pressure that has formed over the Bay of Bengal this month.

A low pressure last week formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression. It brought extremely heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa and left a trail of destruction in these states.