Cyclone Tej likely to transform into Very Severe Cyclonic Storm today: IMD

Cyclone 'Tej', brewing over the Arabian Sea, is expected to transform into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) before noon on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

"VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm) Tej lay centered at 2330 IST of 21st Oct over SW Arabian Sea about 330 km ESE of Socotra (Yemen), 690 km SSE of Salalah (Oman), and 720 km SE of Al Ghaidah (Yemen). Very likely to intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm in the forenoon of 22nd Oct," the IMD posted from its handle on X.

The storm over the Arabian Sea is likely to cross between Al Ghaidah (Yemen) and Salalah (Oman) in the early hours of October 25.

The IMD further said that it was likely to further intensify into a deep depression over the next 24 hours.

"The WML over Bay of Bengal concentrated into a Depression and lay centered at 2330 IST of 21st Oct over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 620 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 780 km south of Digha (West Bengal), and 900 km SSW of Khepupara (Bangladesh)," the IMD posted on X.

Earlier, the weather agency said a low-pressure area over the southeast and the adjoining southwest Arabian Sea has developed into a depression and is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday.

It would continue moving north-north-westwards towards South Oman and adjoining Yemen coasts, it added.