Third deep depression in Bay of Bengal, set to hit Myanmar coast

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said Monday the depression over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining Myanmar coast has strengthened into a deep depression, centred near latitude 16.4°N and longitude 97.3°E. The system was located 40 km west-southwest of Mawlamyine, Myanmar, and 610 km northeast of Mayabunder in the Andaman Islands. It is likely to cross the Myanmar coast between Yangon and Kyaikto around the evening of September 28, then move across coastal Myanmar, the Bay of Bengal and southeast Bangladesh over two days. The IMD did not indicate a possibility of this deep depression turning into a cyclonic storm.

This follows last week's deep depression that triggered heavy rains over Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. More than one lakh people were evacuated and housed in over 500 relief centres in Odisha alone, with 721 houses partially or completely damaged and 4,480 hectares of cropland affected. In Uttar Pradesh, rain-related incidents killed 56 people since Friday, over 1,000 houses were damaged, and rescue teams continue operations in waterlogged areas. The depression over UP has weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area, the IMD said.