"Keep Away From Rumours": Weather Office On Cyclone Sitrang Threat

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has ruled out any possibility of a Super Cyclone hitting the Indian coast over Bay of Bengal around October 18. Speaking to NDTV today, IMD Director-General Dr M Mohapatra confirmed that there was no such threat at all and advised people not to pay attention to rumours. "We have not issued any advisory about a Super Cyclone," Dr Mohapatra said.

The rumour emerged after a PhD researcher on weather and climate at Saskatchewan University in Canada had made a prediction in this regard. It was also said that the Super Cyclone would be named Sitrang.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, had said on Wednesday that IMD had not issued any kind of forecast for a cyclone and advised people of Odisha to stay away from rumours regarding a possible cyclonic storm in the coastal state.

"The India Meteorological Department has not made any forecast on the cyclone or even given any indication in this regard. Please keep away from the rumour," the IMD's regional centre had tweeted.

"We are working 24 hours a day to provide accurate weather-related information. So please stay away from rumours," it said.

IMD further explained that a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over Andaman Sea on October 18. The system will move towards west-central Bay of Bengal, before transforming into a depression on October 20. However, there is no possibility of this weather system leading to a Super Cyclone, it assured.

Senior weather scientist Umashankar Dash told PTI earlier: "The IMD indicated the formation of cyclonic circulation in the Bay of Bengal between October 14 and October 20, but all cyclonic circulations do not take the shape of cyclone."