Bhubaneswar: Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to persist across Odisha on Friday as a depression over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal moves west-northwestward toward North Chhattisgarh, gradually weakening into a well-marked low-pressure area over the next 12 hours.
An ‘Orange Warning’ has been issued for Sundaragada, Baragada, Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda districts, where isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely. Heavy rainfall may also occur in Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Anugola, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Sonpur, Boudh, Nuapada, and Balangir districts.
Heavy rainfall is expected to persist in Sundaragada, Jharsuguda, and Baragada during the subsequent 24 hours.
Strong squally winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, are expected along and off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts, with sea conditions remaining rough over the Northwest Bay of Bengal. Fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea off the Odisha coast until the morning of August 15, and Local Cautionary Signal No. III (LC-3) has been hoisted across all ports in the state.
The IMD has flagged low to moderate flash flood risk in low-lying areas across twelve districts, including Baragada, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sonpur, Sundaragada, Debagada, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Balasore, and Bhadrak. Authorities have advised residents in these regions to watch for localized inundation, waterlogging in urban pockets, potential mudslides, and traffic disruptions.
Notably, several northern and interior parts of Odisha have already recorded significant rainfall over the last 24 hours. Lathkata in Sundaragada district recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 182.0 mm, followed by Kusumi in Mayurbhanj with 144.0 mm and Telkoi in Kendujhar with 129.8 mm.
Mayurbhanj district experienced widespread heavy showers across multiple locations, including Muruda (119.0 mm), Sarasakana (119.0 mm), Raruana (102.0 mm), Sukruli (99.7 mm), Rasgovindpur (90.0 mm), Betanati (82.0 mm), and Joshipur (77.2 mm). Sundaragada district also witnessed substantial rainfall in various blocks, with Rajgangapur recording 107.6 mm, Mandiradam logging 100.6 mm, Kutra at 96.0 mm, Baragaon at 88.2 mm, Tensa at 68.4 mm, and Banaigarh at 67.0 mm. In Sambalpur district, Naktideul registered a notable 100.4 mm of rain.
Other key areas across the state recording heavy to moderate precipitation include Joda in Kendujhar (85.1 mm), Jaleswar in Baleshwar (82.0 mm), Kalinga in Kandhamala (76.0 mm), and Tikarpada in Anugola (68.4 mm).
