The low pressure area over Andaman Sea and adjoining Bay of Bengal has become 'well marked' and is likely to intensify into a depression on Thursday, the Met department said.

With the system set to intensify into a cyclonic storm by the first week of December, the Odisha government on Wednesday asked the agriculture department to take precautionary measures to prevent crop damage in the event of rain and the fisheries department to ensure that fishermen do not venture into the sea from Friday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its morning bulletin, said, "The low pressure area over south Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal now lies as a well marked low pressure area at 5.30 am on November 29." "It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal around November 30. Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal in the subsequent 48 hours," the IMD said.

On the basis of the forecast, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu, in a letter to the principal secretary to the agriculture department, said, "In view of the anticipated rainfall prediction, it is requested to issue required advisory to field functionaries for dissemination to farmers for taking appropriate preventive steps to protect paddy and other crops." The SRC alerted the collectors of seven coastal districts -- Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda and Ganjam – and asked the fisheries and animal resource department to ensure that fishermen do not venture into the sea from December 1 and those in the sea return to the shore on or before that date.

The IMD also said that squally weather conditions will prevail, with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph, over Bay of Bengal from December 1.

"Sea conditions are likely to be very rough," the IMD added.

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