Cyclone Mocha: Low-pressure area in Bay turns well-marked, may intensify into severe storm by May 12

The low-pressure area over South-East Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea became well-marked on Tuesday over the South-East Bay in the first round of an expected series of intensification. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that it will likely intensify into a depression by evening and then intensify into a cyclonic storm Cyclone Mocha on May 10.

The storm is expected to move initially N-northwestwards till 12th May morning. Thereafter, to recurve gradually and move N-northeastwards towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts, the India Meteorological Department warned on Tuesday, saying that details of its landfall could be available by Tuesday.

A low pressure area formed over south-east Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea on Monday, the weather bureau said. It is likely to intensify into a depression on May 9 and into Cyclone Mocha on May 10. The storm is expected to move towards the Bangladesh and Myanmar coasts around May 12.

Between May 8 and 12, authorities were urged by the Met department to regulate tourism, offshore activities, and shipping near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The weather office's bulletin stated that an atmospheric trough extended from the south-west Bay of Bengal off the north Tamil Nadu coast to a cyclonic circulation linked with the low-pressure region over the south-east Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea. The bulletin also mentioned a western disturbance in the form of a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir in middle tropospheric levels.

The director general of the Met office, M Mohapatra, stated that the expected time of landfall and intensity as the system moves towards the coast will be available once the low-pressure area develops into a depression.