Depression likely to cross Odisha coast around midnight

Bhubaneswar: Heavy rainfall is likely to spoil Diwali celebrations in several parts of Odisha with the low pressure area over Bay of Bengal concentrating into a depression.

According to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, the depression over west-central Bay of Bengal moved northwards with a speed of 11 kmph during the past 3 hrs and lay centred at 8.30 am on Thursday near Latitude 16.8º N and Longitude 86.5 ºE, about 440 km south of Chandbali and 340 km south-southeast of Puri. The system is very likely to move initially north-northwestwards and cross Odisha coast between Puri and Chandbali around midnight or early Friday.

It is likely to intensify into a deep depression during next 18 hrs, it added.

Strong and gusty surface wind with speed reaching 45 to 55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph will blow along and off Odisha coast. Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.

The weatherman has forecast heavy downpour in Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda and Puri districts while slight to moderate rain in other parts of the state.