A major storm brewing in the southeast Bay of Bengal has begun gathering steam and is expected to intensify into a cyclone by Wednesday, the weather office said here

The well-marked low-pressure area concentrated into a depression on Tuesday evening packing wind speeds of 45 to 55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph over the south-east Bay of Bengal, the India Meteorological Department said.

It said the weather system was expected to intensify into a deep depression by 5.30 am on Wednesday and turn into Cyclone Mocha in the next 12 hours, packing wind speeds of 80-90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph.

The system is expected to move initially north-northwestwards till May 12 morning and later towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts, the weather office said.

Fishermen and operators of small ships, boats, and trawlers are advised not to venture into the southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal from Tuesday.

The weather office also asked those who are over the east-central Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea to return during the day.

The weather system is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday morning with wind speeds gusting to 110 kmph and turn into a very severe cyclonic storm packing wind speed of 130 kmph.

“Thereafter, it is likely to cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazaar and Kyaukpyu around the forenoon of Sunday,” the weather office said.

According to the system of naming cyclones, the storm will be called Cyclone Mocha (Mokha), a name suggested by Yemen after the Red Sea port city Mokha, which introduced coffee to the world 500 years ago.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy precipitation at isolated places is likely over Andaman and Nicobar islands from Tuesday to Thursday, the Met Department said.

In Kolkata, hot weather continued to cause discomfort on Tuesday.

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An IMD statement said the city recorded a maximum temperature 38.5 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature settled at 29.5 degrees.

The temperature in south Bengal districts hovered around 38-40 degrees Celsius and is not likely to change in the next 24 hours.

The maximum humidity was 84 per cent in the city and its neighborhood.

IMD Deputy Director (East) Sanjib Banerjee said the temperature is expected to rise further on Wednesday before rains begin.