Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday sounded heavy to extremely heavy rainfall alert for interior Odisha in the next 24 hours under the influence of a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
“The depression over the north-west Bay of Bengal off the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts on Tuesday has moved north-westwards with a speed of about 5 kmph in last six hours and intensified into a deep depression and lay centred about 70 km south-east of Balasore and about 70 km south-south-west of Digha on Wednesday. It is very likely to move in the west-north-west direction and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts near Balasore by noon,” said the IMD in its morning bulletin.
In view of the deep depression, IMD has announced the Red, Orange and Yellow warning for the following districts for two days till August 9.
August 8
Red warning (take action): Extremely heavy rainfall over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Sonepur, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Balangir, Nuapada and Boudh.
Orange warning (be prepared): Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over the districts of Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Angul.
Yellow warning (be aware): Isolated Heavy rainfall in the remaining districts.
August 9
Yellow warning: Isolated heavy rainfall in Bargarh, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Balangir and Sundargarh.
Under the influence of the deep depression, squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph with gusting to 75 kmph will blow along and off the Odisha coast during the next 12 hours and 45-55 kmph with gusting to 65 kmph thereafter for subsequent 12 hours. Besides, strong winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph with gusting to 50 kmph will also blow over the interior areas of Odisha on Wednesday.
Due to the inclement weather, fishermen have been advised not to venture into northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts during the next 24 hours.
Besides, IMD has also advised hoisting of the local cautionary signal no-3 in all the ports in the state.
