Cyclonic storm Maha very likely to weaken into depression by today

The severe cyclonic storm Maha, which is currently over the Arabian Sea, is "very likely" to weaken into a depression by Thursday evening, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

In a bulletin released late Wednesday night, the weather department said 'Maha' had moved east-northeastwards with a speed of 21 kmph and lay centred over east-central and adjoining northeast the Arabian Sea, about 250 km southwest of Porbandar in Gujarat and 290 km west-southwest of Diu.

"It is very likely to skirt Saurashtra coast and lay centred about 40 kms south of Diu around noon of November 7 as a deep depression. Continuing to move east-northeastwards, it is very likely to weaken further into a depression by tomorrow evening," the IMD said.

It said that a deep depression, which lay in the Bay of Bengal and is 780 km south-southeast of Odisha's Paradip, is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours.

"It is very likely to move northwestwards for some time and then north-northwestwards towards West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts," the IMD said.