On a Monday evening in late October, India's weather office announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had grown into a cyclonic storm named Hamoon, a name lent by Iran in the long rotation of names shared among nations that watch the same restless sea. The storm sits far enough offshore that its strength is not expected to fall upon India's shores, though its path points toward Bangladesh, where it is expected to meet land around the 25th. Along the Odisha and Bengal coasts, people who had gathered for the festival turned their attention to the sky, weighing ordinary rain against
Deep Depression Over Bay of Bengal Intensifies into Cyclone 'Hamoon'; IMD Says Little Direct Impact on India
No direct impact on Odisha, but some pandals could suffer damage
Mark
So the headline says a cyclone, but the IMD says India is largely spared. Why does it still matter?
Mimi
Because the effects don't wait for landfall. Odisha has already had about 15 mm of rain, and winds are forecast to reach 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100, by Tuesday morning.
Mark
And that coincides with Durga Puja.
Mimi
Yes. The IMD chief specifically said some pandals might not withstand those winds. In West Bengal, rain was already falling on Nabami, and people turned up with umbrellas anyway.
Luke
Let me separate the claims. The IMD says no direct impact on Odisha. That's a forecast, not an outcome. What's actually confirmed?
Mimi
The position at 5.30 pm, the rain so far, and the precautions: collectors told to prepare, fishermen warned off. Those are things that have happened.
Luke
And the forecasts are the intensification to a severe cyclonic storm within 12 hours, and the Bangladesh crossing around October 25.
Mimi
Right, those are projections from the IMD.
Mark
Why would Odisha order evacuation preparations if it expects no direct impact?
Mimi
The order is conditional: evacuate low-lying areas if heavy rain comes. The forecast does mention 7-11 cm at one or two places in Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur.
Luke
Worth noting that the report doesn't say any evacuations have actually happened, and it gives no damage figures. Pandal damage is a possibility, not a report.
O Pulso
- A storm named Hamoon has strengthened over the Bay of Bengal, roughly 230 km off Odisha's Paradip coast, and is still gathering force.
- Odisha's government has ordered district collectors to stand ready and to empty low-lying villages if heavy rain arrives.
- Fishermen have been told to keep out of large stretches of the Bay until Wednesday, leaving their boats tied to the shore.
- Winds of 80-90 kmph, gusting near 100 kmph, threaten Durga Puja pandals not built to withstand such force.
- The storm is expected to pass Odisha without landfall and to weaken into a deep depression as it reaches Bangladesh around October 25.
On a Monday evening in late October, India's weather office announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had grown into a cyclonic storm named Hamoon, a name lent by Iran in the long rotation of names shared among nations that watch the same restless sea. The storm sits far enough offshore that its strength is not expected to fall upon India's shores, though its path points toward Bangladesh, where it is expected to meet land around the 25th. Along the Odisha and Bengal coasts, people who had gathered for the festival turned their attention to the sky, weighing ordinary rain against the quiet possibility that wind might take what they had built.
On Monday evening, the India Meteorological Department announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had strengthened into a cyclonic storm. It was named Hamoon, and the department was quick to reassure that it should not bring major harm to the Indian coast.
The system was drifting slowly north, sitting about 230 km off Odisha's Paradip coast. Forecasters expected it to grow stronger over the northwest Bay within hours, but its eventual landfall is aimed at Bangladesh, where it should arrive around October 25 in a weaker form.
Still, Odisha is preparing. Its government has asked district collectors to be ready for any eventuality and to move residents out of low-lying areas should heavy rain arrive. Scientists say light to moderate showers have already begun along the coast, with heavier falls possible in a few districts. Fishermen have been asked to stay off large parts of the Bay until Wednesday.
In West Bengal, thunderstorms were forecast for Kolkata and nearby districts, and the rain dampened the festival mood on Nabami. Yet people still came out under colourful umbrellas to visit the pandals, hoping the weather would hold. The IMD warned that wind could damage festival structures not built to withstand such gusts, and the coming days will show whether the storm keeps to its forecast path.
On Monday evening, the India Meteorological Department announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had strengthened into a cyclonic storm. The system has been named Hamoon, a name supplied by Iran. The department was quick to add that it does not expect the storm to have any major effect on the Indian coast.
According to the IMD, the system had moved north at 14 kmph over the previous six hours. At 5.30 pm it sat about 230 km off the Paradip coast in Odisha, 360 km south of Digha in West Bengal, and 510 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh. The department said it was likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over the northwest Bay of Bengal within the next 12 hours.
Its eventual landfall is forecast for Bangladesh rather than India. The IMD said the system is very likely to cross the Bangladesh coast between Khepupara and Chittagong around 12 pm on October 25, by which time it should have weakened to a deep depression.
Odisha is taking precautions all the same. The state government has told all district collectors to be ready for any eventuality, and has directed administrators to move people out of low-lying areas if heavy rain arrives. Weather scientist U S Dash said the storm will pass over the sea roughly 200 km from the Odisha coast. Under its influence, he said, coastal Odisha could see light to moderate rain at a few places on Monday and at many places over the following two days.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said wind speed over the Bay of Bengal will rise gradually to 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, by Tuesday morning. He said Odisha will not feel a direct impact from the cyclone, but some Durga Puja pandals not built to withstand such winds could be damaged.
The rain has already begun. Odisha received about 15 mm in the last 24 hours under the system's influence. The weather office said light to moderate rain may continue in coastal areas on Monday and Tuesday, with heavier falls of 7-11 cm possible at one or two places in Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur until 8.30 am on Tuesday.
Fishermen have been warned off the water. The IMD asked them not to venture into the west-central Bay of Bengal until Wednesday, and along and off the Odisha coast and the north Bay of Bengal from Monday to Wednesday.
In neighbouring West Bengal, the Met department forecast thunderstorms with lightning and moderate rain in parts of Purba Medinipur, Kolkata and South 24 Parganas on Monday and Tuesday. Light to moderate rain in some parts of the state dampened the mood on Nabami, the festival day, though people were seen braving the weather under colourful umbrellas at various Durga Puja pandals.
What to watch next: whether the storm reaches severe cyclonic strength over the northwest Bay on schedule, how the wind affects festival structures along the coast, and the expected crossing into Bangladesh around October 25.
Citações Notáveis
There will be no direct impact on Odisha, but some Durga Puja pandals not strong enough for such winds could suffer damage.— Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD Director General (paraphrased)
The system will move over the sea around 200 km from the Odisha coast.— U S Dash, weather scientist
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