Depression Over Bay Derails Life In Odisha; Rain To Continue For 2 Days

Bhubaneswar: As a low-pressure area over westcentral Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression triggering rain in different parts of Odisha, normal life was disrupted in several areas of the state on Saturday.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression over westcentral Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast moved east-northeastwards lay centred over the same region, 440 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 600 km south-southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha.

Under the impact of the depression, incessant rain wreaked havoc in several parts of Odisha amid waterlogging in some areas, including Paradip.

Khurda recorded the highest volume of rainfall of 75 mm in the last 24 hours followed by Jagatsinghpur (61.2), Paradip (61.1), Gopalpur (58.6), Bhubaneswar (51.6), Puri (40.5) and Cuttack (33.4), the weather agency said.

It said heavy rain is likely to take place in some places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Ganjam and Gajapati districts of during the day.

Besides nowcast warning with orange alert was issued in the morning to districts like Puri, Khurdha, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda.

Although there is cloudy sky over coastal Odisha and adjoining areas due to the presence of clouds and westerly storms associated with its outer hemisphere, the effect of rain is likely to decrease later in the day.

The low-pressure conditions will persist in south Odisha coast on December 21 and 22, with wind speeds hovering around 35-45 kmph, gusting up to 55 kmph.

Fishermen have been advised to stay caution as the sea conditions will likely be turbulent.
Rough to very rough seas are likely across the westcentral and southwest Bay of Bengal during this period and along the Andhra Pradesh-north Tamil Nadu and south Odisha coasts. Mariners and coastal residents are advised to exercise caution and follow local advisories to ensure safety during these potentially hazardous weather conditions, the weather agency said.

Amid cold-wave conditions and intermittent rain, vehicular movement and normal life in the capital city Bhubaneswar and nearby areas got affected.

Rain is likely to continue in some parts of the state for the next two days under the impact of the depression over the Bay of Bengal.