Cyclonic storm 'Roanu' likely to make landfall in Bangladesh by Friday

Gangetic West Bengal and this metropolis, swathes of which were inundated by overnight showers, will continue to receive rains in the next 24 hours as cyclonic storm "Roanu" skirts the state's coast and makes landfall in Bangladesh by next Friday, the Met office said on Saturday.

Roanu is likely to move along Bengal coast and cross Bangladesh coast close to Chittagong by Friday evening and inundate low-lying areas of coastal districts, said the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC).

"The sky will remain cloudy with intermittent to heavy rain in some areas of coastal Bengal including in districts like Bankura, Birbhum, etc. Kolkata received around 23.7 mm of rain last night which is a moderate amount," an official at the RMC here said.

People had to wade through ankle-deep to knee-deep water in city pockets such as Burrabazar, Behala and Salt Lake as continuous drizzle over Friday night flooded the areas.

In the Sundarbans archipelago, flooding was reported at several islands, spanning both North and South 24-Parganas districts, as the depression hovered close to the Sagar Island.

The Met office has warned storm surges of about 1 to 1.5 metre would inundate low lying areas of coastal districts of Bengal on Saturday.

Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the seas for fishing as sea condition is likely to be "high to very high" along and off north Odisha and Bengal coasts during next 12 hours and likely to become rough to very rough in subsequent 12 hours, the Met office warned.

The Disaster Management Group of the Kolkata Police is on standby. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has informed the state chief secretary of the developments.

According to the IMD, the cyclonic storm "Roanu" over northwest Bay of Bengal moved east-northeastwards at a speed of 25 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 5.30 am on May 21 over northwest Bay of Bengal near, about 130 km southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal), 160 km southsouthwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh) and 320 km west-southwest of Chittagong (Bangladesh).

"The system is likely to move east-northeastwards skirting West Bengal coast and cross Bangladesh coast close to Chittagong by evening of today (May 21) as a cyclonic storm," the IMD said.

Private sector weather forecaster Skymet predicted Roanu to make a landfall over Bangladesh between evening of May 21 and early morning of May 22.

--IANS

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