KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- A deep depression that formed over northern Thailand on 17 September and intensified over the west-central Bay of Bengal made landfall close to Kalingapatnam, between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur, at around 2330 IST on 23 September, with IMD confirming the landfall process complete in the early hours of 24 September.
- The system is now tracking north-northwestwards into the Odisha interior, still retaining deep depression intensity, with wind gusts of 55–65 km/h recorded at landfall.
- Rainfall has been confirmed at the upper end of forecasts, with Semiliguda in Koraput recording 230 mm in 24 hours, and red alerts for extremely heavy rainfall remain in force for Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur.
- Authorities evacuated more than 5,000 people with no casualties reported as of issue time. The system is forecast to weaken into a depression by the evening of 24 September and a well-marked low by the evening of 25 September, with heavy rain now extending inland into Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Vidarbha.
- This is a live-event advisory and will be superseded by later bulletins.
A deep depression has made landfall on India’s east coast and is now tracking inland, bringing confirmed heavy rainfall to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with impacts extending toward Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Vidarbha. This is a live-event advisory — conditions are still developing and this update will be superseded by later bulletins.
Where is the Bay of Bengal system now, and what happened at landfall?
The system formed as an upper-air circulation over northern Thailand on 17 September and intensified into a deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal before tracking west-northwest across the bay. It made landfall close to Kalingapatnam, between Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Gopalpur (Odisha), with the front sector reaching the coast at approximately 2330 IST on 23 September; the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirms the full landfall process completed within about two hours, in the early hours of 24 September. The system is now moving north-northwestwards into the Odisha interior, retaining deep depression intensity, with wind gusts of 55–65 km/h confirmed at landfall along the south Odisha–north Andhra Pradesh coast — within the advisory-to-high-alert band rather than the destructive range. IMD forecasts the system will weaken into a depression by the evening of 24 September and further into a well-marked low-pressure area by the evening of 25 September, with further intensification into a cyclone considered unlikely.
What rainfall and flooding has been recorded?
Rainfall has been confirmed at the upper end of the forecast range: Semiliguda in Koraput district recorded the highest 24-hour total at 230 mm, followed by Jeypore at 161 mm and Palasa in Srikakulam district at 141 mm, with more than 16 locations across Odisha recording over 10 cm of rain. Red alerts for extremely heavy rainfall (above 204.5 mm per day) remain in force for Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur. Authorities evacuated more than 5,000 residents from low-lying and landslide-prone areas to relief camps and cyclone shelters, including 3,500–5,000 people in Gajapati district alone, where 264 shelters were activated; no fatalities or major structural damage had been reported as of issue time. Low-lying parts of Srikakulam district experienced inundation and blocked road connectivity, and earthmoving equipment has been deployed to clear landslide-prone stretches in Malkangiri. Heavy rain is now extending inland into Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Vidarbha as the system continues to track north-northwestwards.
What is the business impact by sector?
Marine, port and fisheries operations face high exposure: fishing remains suspended and sea conditions rough along the affected coast, with port operations resuming on a rolling, district-by-district basis — full normalisation of marine and coastal supply chains should not be assumed until district-level clearance is confirmed. Road, rail and inland logistics face moderate-to-high exposure given confirmed waterlogging in Srikakulam and blocked roads, with transit-time buffers recommended for consignments through south Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Bengal through 26 September. Education and public services are at moderate exposure, with schools and anganwadi centres closed across five Odisha districts (Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati and Malkangiri) and five Andhra Pradesh districts (Alluri Sitarama Raju, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli). No major power or telecommunications outages had been confirmed as of issue time, though localised strain remains possible given continuing heavy rain, and standing crops in low-lying parts of south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh are exposed to waterlogging pending a full damage assessment. No airport closures or NOTAMs had been reported, with the impact profile remaining rain- and sea-state-driven rather than aviation-disrupting.
What should organisations do right now?
Organisations should track IMD and RSMC Kolkata bulletins directly, confirm the safety and current location of all staff and travellers in the affected districts on a fixed reporting rhythm, continue supporting any evacuated staff or dependants housed in relief camps, and keep drainage, backup power and flood barriers active at any facility in a low-lying or flood-prone location. Extra transit time should be maintained for road and rail shipments through south Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Bengal through 26 September, and rainfall totals, closure notices, cancelled bookings and any extra cost or time lost should be logged to support any later insurance or force-majeure claim. Businesses should not stand down continuity measures given the system still retains deep depression intensity, should not resume outdoor work, events or non-essential site visits in affected districts without confirmed local clearance, and should not assume inland sites are unaffected or that port and marine operations have normalised, given the rolling, district-specific resumption in effect.
What are the phases of the business continuity response?
With landfall complete and the system tracking inland, Phase 2 (“during the event”) actions should be fully in effect for sites in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, while Phase 1 readiness actions — mapping supplier and logistics dependencies, confirming alternate routing, and checking drainage and backup power — should now extend to sites in Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Vidarbha as the rain band moves inland. Phase 3 (recovery and review) remains pending until districts stand down, at which point sites should be inspected for water ingress, drainage failure and electrical hazards before returning to normal duty, port-operation shutdowns should be confirmed lifted district-by-district before assuming supply chains have normalised, and a short structured review should be run within 30 days of stand-down.
Frequently asked questions
Is this system expected to become a cyclone?
No. IMD’s forecast has the system weakening into a depression by the evening of 24 September and a well-marked low-pressure area by the evening of 25 September; further intensification into a cyclone is considered unlikely.
Which districts have school closures?
Schools and anganwadi centres are closed across five Odisha districts (Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati and Malkangiri) and five Andhra Pradesh districts (Alluri Sitarama Raju, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli).
What are the important emergency contacts?
National Emergency Response Support System: 112; IMD Cyclone Warning Division: 011-24344377 / 011-24344599; IMD Andhra Pradesh Meteorological Centre: 8331086973; Odisha and Andhra Pradesh State Emergency/Disaster Management: 1070.
Stay updated
This is a live-event advisory based on IMD bulletins and open-source reporting as at issue time, and it will be superseded by the next update as the system continues to weaken and track inland. Monitor IMD and RSMC Kolkata directly for the latest intensity, track and rainfall bulletins, and refer to datasurfr’s Special Advisory service for consolidated, business-focused updates as the situation develops.
Filed under: India-South AsiaThreat Intelligence Special Reports
