Maritime Ports On Alert As Low Over Bay Intensifies

The Met Office has asked maritime ports in Bangladesh to raise distant cautionary signal No. 1 as a well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal has developed into a depression.

The weather system, packing winds of up to 50 kph, was positioned approximately 1,660 km off the Chattogram coast on Friday (December 1). It is likely to intensify further, according to a special weather bulletin.

All fishing boats and trawlers operating over the north Bay and deep sea have been instructed to stay close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.

On Nov 28, a trough of low pressure was detected over the south Andaman Sea and adjacent areas.

The Met Office had previously cautioned that the depression could escalate into a deep depression and transform into a cyclone. If it evolves into a cyclone, it will be named Michaung (pronounced Migjaum), a name given by Myanmar.

The most recent cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, named 'Midhili' by the Maldives, hit the coast near Barishal's Khepupara on Nov 17, with wind speeds reaching up to 88 kph. In addition to damaging plants and crops, the cyclone resulted in nine deaths.

The weekend is expected to bring dry weather with partly overcast skies, while light fog may occur in the northern region and river basins from late night until early morning. In the last 24 hours, the lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 14.7 degrees Celsius in Rangpur’s Rajarhat.

Night and daytime temperatures are likely to remain largely unchanged across the country.