The Department of Meteorology has announced that the depression currently prevailing in the sea areas off the southeast Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a cyclone within the next few hours.In light of this situation, the department has advised the fishing and naval communities to refrain from engaging in activities in the Bay of Bengal sea areas until further notice.The Department of Fisheries has urged the fishing and naval communities operating in those sea areas to sail to safe locations.Accordingly, fishing vessels currently located in the sea area between 10 and 15 degrees north latitude and 80 and 90 degrees east longitude have been instructed to immediately evacuate those areas and sail towards the north or south.Due to this system, wind speeds in these sea areas may occasionally increase up to 70 kilometres per hour, and the respective sea areas can be rough or very rough at times.Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology has announced that fairly heavy showers exceeding 50 millimetres can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, and Southern provinces, as well as in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts, today (01).