Fact Check: No Cyclone Threat to Odisha; IMD Refutes Rumors of Impending Storm in Bay of Bengal
The claim to be false. Although there are reports suggesting that a cyclone may form in the Bay of Bengal and potentially impact Odisha between May 23 and 28, the IMD has clarified that no such cyclone has been forecast as of now.
Claim :
A cyclone may form in the Bay of Bengal and could hit Odisha between the 23rd and 28th of this month.Fact :
Indian Meteorological Department official has clarified that no cyclone has been forecast for the next seven days.
Most parts of Odisha continued to experience scorching heat on May 13, with Jharsuguda in the western region recording the highest temperature at 43 degrees Celsius. According to an article, According to a bulletin issued by the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, 11 places, including Jharsuguda, witnessed maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above on 13th May. Sambalpur recorded 42.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Titlagarh (42) and Bargarh (41.8). Other places that registered the maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or more were Bhawanipatna and Bolangir (41.5 each), Boudh (41.2), Sonepur (41), Hirakud (40.6), and Malkangiri and Nupada (40 each).
The weather office said the maximum temperature would rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius over the next three days and there would be no large change thereafter. The day temperature was expected to be 40 degrees Celsius or more in some pockets of Angul, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bhawanipatna, Bolangir, Titlagarh, Malkangiri, Sonepur, Boudh, Paralakhemundi, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Bargarh, and Nuapada districts, it said. The Met Centre further said hot and humid conditions were expected in the districts of Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati on 14th May. Thunderstorms with lightning would occur in the afternoon and evening hours of May 14 in Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Bhadrak, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Cuttack, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam districts.
Meanwhile, few media outlets reported that a cyclone may form in the Bay of Bengal and could impact Odisha between the 23rd and 28th of this month, causing mild concern among the public.
You can find the screenshot below.
Fact Check:
The claim is false. An Indian Meteorological Department official has clarified that no cyclone has been forecast for the next seven days.
When we searched the official social media handle of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, which provides weather updates for Odisha, we found temperature forecasts and some thunderstorm warnings. However, there were no cyclone-related forecasts posted on their social media pages.
We also visited the social media handle of Senior Meteorologist Umashankar Das, who regularly posts updates on Odisha’s weather. There, too, we did not find any posts about an upcoming cyclone forecast.
While contacting the state officials, they said there is no cyclone formation expected in the next seven days, as per the IMD.
Mr. Biswajit Sahoo, a Meteorologist working at WeatherCast Solutions Pvt Ltd situated at Mumbai inside IIT Bombay Campus and originally from Odisha, informed us that the information was fake. Several media outlets have reported it, but it turned out to be a rumor. Multiple pages are spreading such misinformation just to gain likes and comments. Journalists must be responsible and cautious before sharing such information with the public," said Mr. Sahoo
We found that The Samaja Live published a brief article on this issue on their digital media page. The Samaja Live said, The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has refuted the cyclone report. The department has clarified that there is no cyclone forecast now. The IMD has strongly refuted the reports spread in some media outlets about the formation of a 'storm' between May 23 and 28. In an official statement, the IMD has clarified that on May 13, only an upper air circulation In odia it called as Ghurnibalaya was reported over the Andaman Sea, not a Tropical cyclone. The two are separate from each other in terms of weather. The IMD has clarified that no forecast has been made by the department regarding the cyclone. Further information will be given regarding the weather situation. Some specific media outlets are spreading false news and creating confusion and fear among the people. The IMD has advised media platforms to refrain from spreading such speculative or false news.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) refuted the report, stating that there is no information about any cyclone, as published by Kanak News.
Dharitri Live published a report stating that the Meteorological Department has refuted media reports about a cyclone, confirming that no cyclone is forecast between May 23 and 28, according to the IMD.
Hence, we found the claim to be false. Although there are reports suggesting that a cyclone may form in the Bay of Bengal and potentially impact Odisha between May 23 and 28, the India Meteorological Department has clarified that no such cyclone has been forecast as of now.
