Bhubaneswar: The well marked low pressure area over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal has intensified into a depression, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.

The system is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm (to be named as Cyclone 'Dana') by tomorrow (October 23) and further into a severe cyclonic storm by morning of 24th October, the agency said.

It is likely to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during night of 24th October and morning of 25th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph, the IMD predicted.

"Yesterday’s well marked low pressure area over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 22nd October, over the same region near latitude 15.4° N and longitude 91.2°E, about 730 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 770 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 740 km south-southeast of Khepupara (Bangladesh)," the IMD said in a bulletin issued this morning.

"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by 23rd October, 2024 over eastcentral Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, continuing to move northwestwards, it is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by morning of 24th and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during night of 24th and morning 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph," the bulletin added.