IMD alerts fishermen not to venture into Bay Of Bengal as cyclonic storm Mocha brews

New Delhi: There is a possibility of a cyclonic storm on May 7 due to the development of a low pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal. This will be the first cyclone of the year. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has named this potential storm as ‘Cyclone Mocha’. Mocha will affect the weather of Bengal as well as entire North India and there is a possibility of rain with strong winds between May 9 and 12.

The IMD Global Forecast System (GFS) model has said that Mocha will move north, northeast and east-central Bay of Bengal by May 12. Super Cyclone Amphan in May 2020 devastated almost entire South Bengal including Kolkata.

The weather office advised people to move to a safer place
The weather office has warned fishermen of strong wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph in the southeast Bay of Bengal from Sunday. People who are in the southeast of the Bay of Bengal are advised to return to safer places before May 7, the weather office said.

Apart from these, the people of Central Bay of Bengal are advised to return before May 9. It also suggested that tourism, offshore activities and shipping be regulated near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from May 8 to 12.

Weather office has predicted favorable conditions for formation of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. The heat capacity of a tropical cyclone over the Bay of Bengal is 100 kilojoules per square cm. (kJ/cm). Kilojoule is a unit of measurement of energy. This heat capacity indicates the amount of heat that can be “stored” in the upper layers of the ocean. Studies suggest that heat capacity above 60 kilojoules per square cm can increase the intensity of tropical cyclones.

According to WMO, there is a 60% chance of El Nino developing during May-July this year. It will increase to about 70% in June- August and 80% between July- September. El Niño occurs on average every 2 to 7 years, lasting 9 to 12 months. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, El-Nino conditions may develop during the monsoon and its impact may be felt in the second phase of the monsoon. This forecast is a cause of concern for the agriculture sector.