Deep Depression To Trigger Rainfall In Odisha In Next 48 Hours

Bhubaneswar: The deep depression formed over south-east Bay of Bengal would trigger rainfall in Odisha in the next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a release on Friday.

According to the release, the depression over south-east Bay of Bengal formed on Thursday has intensified into a deep depression on Friday morning and moved in the north-north-west direction and lay centred about 670 km east of Trincomalee, 930 km east-south-east of Chennai and 1090 km south-east of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 36 hours and move in the north-north-west direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Kakinada on December 17 afternoon.

Under its influence, light to moderate rain/thundershower is likely to occur at a few places in Odisha on December 16, many places in interior Odisha and a few places over coastal Odisha on December 17 and a few places in most parts of the state the following day.

Besides, isolated heavy rainfall is likely in the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal on December 17, the release added.

While IMD has not given any warning for fishermen in coastal Odisha, it has advised them not to venture into the deep sea in the south-west and the adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal on December 14, south-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal on December 15 and the west-central and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal on December 16 and 17.

In view of the deep depression, IMD has put up the Distance Cautionary Signal No-I at all ports of the state.

Notably, the Special Relief Commissioner, in a release on Friday had issued an advisory for the farmers to protect their standing crops. According to the advisory, farmers have been advised to reap the paddy in their field and bring it to a safe place. Besides, they have been asked to collect the paddy stacks kept in the field for drying to a safe place and harvest the dry paddy immediately and cover the paddy stacks kept in the backyard of their house with tarpaulin.

This apart, the SRC had asked the district administration to take necessary measures to protect the paddy kept at the mandis from the rain.