Satellite imagery indicates that a possible tropical cyclone may be developing over the Bay of Bengal.  Thunderstorms have increased and the system has been designated as Invest 94B.  At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Invest 94B was located at latitude 11.8°N and longitude 88.7°E which put it about 575 miles (930 km) east of Chennai, India.  The invest was not moving much.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1002 mb.

A circulation began to consolidate in an area of thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal on Thursday.  Many more thunderstorms formed in the western half of the circulation.  Although there was still not a well defined center of circulation, some curved bands began to form.  A broad cyclonic circulation began to rotate counterclockwise.

Invest 94B was organizing in area that was favorable for further intensification.  It was moving over water where the Sea Surface Temperature was near 30°C.  An upper level ridge centered to the east of the invest was generating easterly winds that were blowing toward the top of the circulation.  The winds were producing some vertical wind shear and the shear may have contributed to the asymmetrical distribution of thunderstorms.  The shear could slow the development, but it is probably not strong enough to prevent the formation of a tropical cyclone.

Invest 94B did not move much during Thursday.  The is some uncertainty about the future track of the system.  Some numerical models are forecasting that the subtropical ridge to the east of Invest 94B will steer it toward the northern Bay of Bengal.