Odisha braces for ‘Titli’ landfall while ''Luban'' brews in Arabian Sea

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 10 

Two "very severe cyclones" are brewing on the either side of the subcontinent—“Titli” in the Bay of Bengal and “Luban” in the Arabian Sea.

The Indian Meteorological Department says conditions are favorable for Titli to intensify further, move north-north-westwards and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coast between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around the morning of October 11. Titli is thereafter expected to re-curve northeastwards, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and weaken gradually. 

High-category “red” and “orange” alerts have been issued for Odisha, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Mizoram andTripura for tomorrow. Alert has also been sounded for Assam and Meghalaya

Meanwhile, the “very severe cyclonic storm Luban" in the west central Arabian Sea is concerned—the second such event this month—is expected to move west­-north-westwards towards Yemen and South Oman coasts over next four days. However, Kerala can expect heavy rains on October 14, the IMD said.

Meteorologists call such weather events in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea “normal and common" during this time of the year.  Weather expert Mahesh Palawat explains: “As the direction of the Sun starts shifting towards the Southern Hemisphere, sea surface temperatures rise in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, building up of low pressure areas in October and November. Normally, the systems thus formed in the Arabian Sea move towards the Oman Coast, where SSTs are slightly cooler, causing them to use their reserves".