Cyclone Sitrang likely to make landfall in Bangladesh early on Oct 25

The system is likely to cause light to moderate rain in Gangetic West Bengal, with isolated heavy rain in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur.

Cyclone Sitrang is likely to make landfall in Bangladesh early Tuesday morning, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The low-press area that formed over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining areas of the south Andaman Sea and the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Saturday morning over the southeast Bay of Bengal close to the Andaman Islands, according to the Met department.

Cyclone Sitrang is likely to make a landfall between Tinkona Island and Sandwip Tuesday morning.

The depression is expected to gradually intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coast around early Tuesday morning. The system will move northwestwards and intensify further into a Deep Depression over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on Sunday.

It is then likely to recurve gradually northwards and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm over the westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal by October 24 and make landfall between Tinkona Island and Sandwip the next morning.

On Friday, Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba reviewed the preparedness of ministries, agencies and state governments to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone Sitrang during the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting.

"The NDRF has made its teams available to the States and additional teams are also being kept in readiness. Rescue and relief teams of the Army and Navy along with ships and aircraft have been kept ready on standby," Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement.

(With PTI inputs)