The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the cyclonic storm 'Asani' over Bay of Bengal is expected to further intensify in the next 24 hours.

Earlier on Saturday, the department had predicted that a depression has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal about 170 kms west of Car Nicobar and is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 8.

Officials of the weather department have predicted that the cyclone will move in northwest direction till May 10 evening and a possibility that it'll further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a yellow warning for rainfall has been issued for three districts of Gajpati, Ganjam and Puri in Odisha. Heavy rainfall warning has been issued on May 11 for five districts, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack and Ganjam.

‘Asani’ will be the year’s first cyclonic storm to develop in the North Indian Ocean region, which includes the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

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