The low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is intensifying into a cyclone, named Montha, as suggested by Thailand. As a result of this cyclone, heavy rainfall is expected in some districts of the state, including Pune, over the next 38 hours.
Weather systems are currently active in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Among them, the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify and turn into a severe cyclone.
This cyclone, named Montha, is expected to move northwestwards and hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday, October 28. As a result of this cyclone, a red alert has been issued for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and an orange alert has been issued for East Vidarbha.
Former head, weather forecasting at IMD, Anupam Kashyapi, said, “The impact of Cyclone Montha is expected to result in thunderstorms and rainfall across the state, including Pune, over the next 48 hours. Warnings have been issued for the districts of Pune, Mumbai, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Nagpur.”
What does Cyclone Montha mean?
Naming cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region is done by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) under the jurisdiction of the India Meteorological Department.
RSMC works under the supervision of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The countries that suggest names for cyclones in this region include Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Yemen, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
13 names are suggested by each country, and accordingly, a list of 169 names is prepared. When a new cyclone forms, the Meteorological Department gives it the next name in this list. The cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal has been given the name Montha, suggested by Thailand. The word Montha means fragrant flower or beautiful flower in the Thai language.
