The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday that severe cyclonic storm ‘Tej’ has intensified over the southwest Arabian Sea and is currently centred over Yemen's Socotra.
The weather department said that it was likely to become a very severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours.
IMD said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Severe Cyclonic Storm 'TEJ' intensifies over Southwest Arabian Sea! Pronounced as 'TEJ, ' it's currently centered near Socotra, Yemen.”
It added that the storm was likely to move west-northwestwards until Sunday morning and northwestwards until Tuesday morning.
“Expected to become a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm in the next 24 hours, #TEJ is likely to move west-northwestwards until the 22nd morning, then northwestwards until the 24th morning, and finally north-northwestwards.”
{{/usCountry}}“Expected to become a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm in the next 24 hours, #TEJ is likely to move west-northwestwards until the 22nd morning, then northwestwards until the 24th morning, and finally north-northwestwards.”
{{/usCountry}}Tej is likely to make landfall between the coasts of Yemen and Oman.
“Anticipated landfall between Al Ghaidah (Yemen) & Salalah (Oman) around early morning on 25th October. Stay informed and stay safe,” said IMD.
On Saturday morning, IMD said, very rough sea-to-high sea condition is prevailing in the Southwest Arabian Sea and is likely to become high to phenomenal from October 21 to 23. In the western Arabian Sea, very rough sea conditions are likely to prevail from October 22 to 25. “Moderate to rough sea condition is likely to prevail in the Southwest, west-central, and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on October 21 and is expected to become rough to very rough on October 23," the IMD said. Meanwhile, rough to very rough sea condition is expected along Odisha, West Bengal, and Bangladesh coasts from October 24 to 26.
The IMD has issued an advisory for fishermen to not venture into the sea and along the coasts till October 26. “Those out at sea are advised to return to coast,” it said.
IMD on Friday said that a low-pressure area over the southeast and southwest Arabian Sea evolved into a depression and was to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Saturday.
The IMD categorises a system as a Cyclonic Storm when its 3-minute average maximum sustained wind speeds fall between 63-88 kmph. Similarly, a severe cyclonic storm has winds between 89-117 kmph, a very severe cyclonic storm between 118-165 kmph, and an extremely severe cyclonic storm between 166-220 kmph. Wind speeds above 221 kmph give rise to a supercyclone.