Cyclone Shakti To Hit Indian Coast? IMD Clarifies On The Cyclonic Circulation Over Bay Of Bengal

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has strongly denied reports suggesting the formation of “Cyclone Shakti” over the Bay of Bengal. In a clarification issued on Wednesday, the IMD said that the probability of a depression forming in the Bay of Bengal over the next 168 hours is “NIL,” and no cyclone formation has been forecasted.

The IMD’s latest update noted the presence of an upper “air cyclonic circulation” over the Bay of Bengal, but no cyclone alerts were issued. 

“Yesterday’s upper air cyclonic circulation over Andaman Sea extending up to 3.1 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height persisted at 0300 UTC of today, 14th May, 2025,” the IMD explained. 

“An upper air cyclonic circulation lay over southwest Bay of Bengal adjoining Tamil Nadu coast at 1.5 km above mean sea level at 0300 UTC of today, 14th May, 2025,” the agency added.

Meteorologically, a cyclonic circulation is a weaker, preliminary weather system characterised by a low-pressure area with rotating winds, typically in the upper atmosphere. It may or may not develop into a stronger storm.

In contrast, a cyclone is a fully formed, well-organised storm with sustained surface winds of 62-88 km/h, capable of causing significant damage.

Not all cyclonic circulations intensify into full-blown cyclones.

The name “Shakti” follows a regional naming system established in 2004 for cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, managed by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The name “Shakti” was suggested by Sri Lanka as part of this system.

The eight countries bordering the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea – Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – suggest names for cyclones, which are listed sequentially.

The names must be neutral concerning gender, politics, religion, and culture, and they follow an alphabetical order. Each name can have up to eight letters and must not be offensive. Once used, a name is never repeated.

In 2020, a new list of 169 names was introduced, with 13 names from each of the 13 participating countries.

Also Read: Southwest Monsoon 2025 Tracker

As per IMD’s latest update, an upper air cyclonic circulation persists over East Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Bihar at 0.9 km above sea level. This system, along with a trough extending to south Odisha, is influencing current weather patterns.

South Bengal is likely to experience hot and humid conditions with isolated heat waves until May 15.

North Bengal is expected to witness more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, along with gusty winds, lightning, and light to moderate rain over the coming days.