The Indian Meteorological Department announced that conditions are favourable for further advancement of monsoon to some parts of southwest Bay of Bengal, more parts of southeast and east central Bay of Bengal and most parts of Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours.

Expecting an early monsoon, farmers across the country are gearing up for sowing and other related operations. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls are likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the north eastern States during the next 2-3 days, the IMD bulletin said.

A bulletin put out by the ministry of earth sciences observed that the monsoon current was 'active in the Bay.

Predictions available for the next five days suggested that build-up over the Arabian Sea region may get set slightly ahead of schedule. In this manner, the monsoon flows in the region may get established a week earlier than normal.

May 18 and 19 will see the cross-equatorial flows picking up in strength along the Somali coast, while heading into the Arabian Sea.

Cyclone fear

There is cause for fear among people living in the coastal belt as the low-pressure area over east central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a depression and lay 400 km northwest of Port Blair with prospects of further intensification.

The system is tipped to move north and spin faster to reach cyclonic strength over the warm waters of the Head Bay before likely crossing either the West Bengal or Bangladesh coast.

An alert posted on the Ohio State University tropical weather information site said that formation of a significant tropical cyclone is possible in the next 24 hours within a 325-km radius of the current position of the parent depression.

Winds in the area are estimated to be 46 to 56 km/h. The gust will need to clock 63 km/h for being classified as a cyclone.

The Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Centre of the US Navy assessed the speed of the core of winds associated with the depression as 46 km/h.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said a deepening trough over eastern India is helping improve the flows.

The JTWC assessed the sea level pressure associated with the system is showing a tendency to drop. Combined with the consolidating flows at the required heights, it assessed as 'fair' the potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.

The brewing storm may impact parts of West Bengal coast, Myanmar and the Andaman Islands.