Cyclone Shakti brews over Andaman Sea as monsoon advances; IMD shares details on expected footfall

Cyclone Shakti

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon has officially begun, marking its arrival in parts of the south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands, south Bay of Bengal, and some parts of the north Andaman Sea.

The IMD, along with regional weather experts, has also noted the presence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Andaman Sea, which may lead to the formation of a low-pressure system between May 16 and 22. Several forecasts, including one by Bangladeshi meteorologist Mostofa Kamal Palash, suggest that this system could strengthen into a cyclone, tentatively named ‘Shakti’, sometime between May 23 and 28, ABP Bengali reported, quoting Bengal Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) sources.

If it forms, the cyclone is likely to make landfall between May 24 and 26, with coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal in India, as well as Khulna and Chattogram in Bangladesh, identified as at risk.

In a press release on Tuesday, the IMD said, “An upper air cyclonic circulation lay over Andaman Sea between 1.5 km and 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting south-westwards with height at 0300 UTC of today, 13th May, 2025.”

The weather department also shared details about other weather systems forming in northern India. A cyclonic circulation (a rotating system of winds) is currently located over northwest Uttar Pradesh, and another one is active over West Rajasthan. These weather patterns can bring rain and thunderstorms in the surrounding regions.

The IMD has also issued a yellow alert in several districts of Karnataka, warning residents to expect more pre-monsoon showers until May 16. In Kolkata, the forecast for Wednesday indicates a partly cloudy sky, with a chance of thunderstorms and light to moderate rain in the evening.

According to the IMD's post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, the northern limit of the monsoon is steadily moving, and favourable conditions exist for its further advancement over the next 3–4 days. It is likely to spread into parts of the south Arabian Sea, the Maldives region, central Bay of Bengal, and the rest of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.