The exact direction of a depression, formed over south-south-east Bay of Bengal and now centred 1,200 km off the Gopalpur coast, would be known only in the next 24 hours, said local Meteorological Centre Director Sarat Chandra Sahu.
‘The movement of the depression in the last six hours was towards the north with a wind speed of around 10 kmph,” said Sahu, adding that as per modular indicator, the depression would initially move in west-north-west direction and then is expected to move in the north-west direction.
“There is a possibility that the depression will turn into a deep depression in the next 24 hours and then a cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours. But if it moves in the north-west direction, it will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast sooner. However, nothing can be correctly predicted now,” added Sahu.
On the possibility of rainfall in Odisha, Sahu said it depends through which area of the Andhra Pradesh coast the cyclonic storm would cross.
“If it crosses Machhlipatnam, then there is least possibility of rainfall in Odisha. But if it crosses Vishakhapatnam and its nearby areas, there would be rainfall in south and coastal Odisha,” he informed.
Meanwhile, IMD Cyclonic Warning Centre chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said they are not yet sure as to on which area of the east coast the cyclonic storm would have a land fall.