A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclone, prompting the Bangladesh Meteorological Department to advise all four maritime ports to hoist cautionary signal number two.

However, meteorologists predict that the cyclone will have minimal impact on Bangladesh, apart from causing some rainfall in coastal areas.

Fishing boats and trawlers in the northern Bay of Bengal and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.

The cyclone is expected to continue moving northwestward and make landfall over the northern Tamil Nadu coast around Saturday afternoon, according to the weather office.

In a regular bulletin, the Meteorological Department stated that light rainfall may occur in a few places in Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions over the next 24 hours, starting Friday morning at 9 a.m. The weather in other parts of the country is likely to remain mostly dry with partly cloudy skies.

The system originated as a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal last Saturday, gradually intensifying into a well-marked low, then a depression, a deep depression, and finally developing into a cyclone.

After intensifying into a cyclone, it was named Fainzal, a name proposed by Saudi Arabia. Cyclones in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are named by the World Meteorological Organization's regional body, ESCAP, which uses a pre-determined list of names submitted by 13 member countries in the region.