Bhubaneswar: Odisha got a breather from heavy rain on Thursday as the deep depression moved into west-central Chhattisgarh and nearby parts of Vidarbha and MP.
According to India Meteorological Department, widespread rainfall may continue in the state on July 30 with scattered rainfall from July 31-August 2. Yellow warning of thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and gusty surface wind (30-40 kmph) has been issued for one or two places in the districts of Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, Nabaarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagada on July 30; Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagada on July 31; and Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Anugola, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Kandhamala, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagada on August 1.
The IMD further stated that squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-40 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph may prevail along and off South Odisha coast on July 30.
Heavy rain may resume in the state from August 2 with warning issued for one or two places Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts. Heavy rain may continue to lash Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Gajapati on August 3; Kalahandi, Kandhamala, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Gajapati on August 4; Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Koraput on August 5 with no large change thereafter.
How Slow-Moving Weather Systems Unleashed Severe Floods Across Odisha
However, heavy rainfall in upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh has pushed up the Mahanadi river’s water level, prompting authorities to brace for a medium flood in downstream areas of Odisha with discharge at Mundali near Kataka expected to touch 9 lakh cusecs by evening. The situation has intensified as floodwaters from the Tel, Ib and Jira rivers are adding to the Mahanadi’s flow, leading to a further rise in the water level. The water level at the Hirakud Dam stood at 620 feet against its full reservoir level of 630 feet.
Meanwhile, floods triggered by incessant rain under the influence of the deep depression have inundated several villages in Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts. Two breaches developed in the embankment of the Kani river, a tributary of the Baitarani, near Patana under Dasarathapur block on Wednesday night have further worsened the flood situation in Jajpur, severely affecting people in three blocks.
This deluge comes as a stark contrast to June, when the state recorded a massive 47% rainfall deficit and river water levels plummeted. A low-pressure area formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal on July 25 and intensified into a depression by the morning of July 26. Because the system moved unusually slowly, it dumped heavy rain over the state for four consecutive days. Between July 25 and July 29, Odisha recorded 163.4 mm of rainfall, accounting for nearly 48% of the entire month’s average normal rainfall in just four days. Furthermore, 32% of the month’s total rain (111.7 mm) fell in just 48 hours between July 27 and July 28.
Between June 1 and July 31, Odisha typically receives an average seasonal rainfall of 550.7 mm. By July 29, total rainfall had already reached 712 mm. Apart from wiping out June’s deficit, the unrelenting rain triggered widespread flood conditions across the state. The occurrence of such intense flooding, despite an active El Niño in the Pacific Ocean, raises critical questions about evolving regional weather patterns, according to senior meteorologist Umasankar Das.
Citing a study published in the journal Science in 2025, he noted that heightened atmospheric instability during El Niño years often concentrates heavy precipitation into shorter windows. This causes severe urban flooding, flash floods in hilly regions, and rapid riverine overflows. A recent example occurred in Umar Gam (Valsad district, Gujarat), where 1,064 mm of rain fell in a single day on July 23, the third-highest 24-hour rainfall record in India’s history. Similarly, Ahmedabad recorded 737 mm in a single day on July 24.
