A tropical depression brewing in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Myanmar could strengthen into a cyclonic storm over the next 24 hours, forecasters are warning.
It was expected to make landfall in the Irrawaddy Delta Region on Sunday evening, before curving up the coast in a northwesterly direction towards India, according to Eleven Media.
The system, likely to bring torrential rain and thunderstorms to coastal areas, could thereafter develop into ‘Cyclone Kyant’ if wind speeds get high enough.
“The depression is heading towards the delta areas and the eye of the storm will reach Myanmar between October 23 and 25,” meteorologist Tun Lwin told Eleven. “Irrawaddy Region and southern Rakhine state will be affected.”
Aung Swe Win, deputy director of the Fire Services Department, said the force was on alert in those two areas as well as Mon state and Yangon and Tanintharyi regions.
“Each Yangon township has a team of 35 members and there are emergency rescue items controlled by headquarters,” he said.
Storms and cyclones are most common in Myanmar at the beginning and end of the monsoon, in May and October.
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