Extreme Rain To Lash Odisha For 2 Days; Khurda, Puri & Cuttack On Orange Alert

Bhubaneswar: The intensity of rainfall is expected to increase in Odisha from Saturday with the likely formation of a fresh low pressure over the north Bay of Bengal and active Southwest Monsoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here said on Thursday.

“A few parts of Odisha are likely to witness heavy rainfall today and tomorrow,” senior meteorologist Umasankar Das told the media.

Under the influence of the low-pressure formation, extremely heavy rain is likely to lash the state on August 13 and August 14. “All 30 districts will experience heavy downpour on August 14 following which the rain intensity is likely to decrease,” he added.

Orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) has been issued for isolated places in Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts on August 13. Heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) is also likely at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Gajapati, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Angul, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Sonepur, Sambalpur and Balangir during this period.

On August 14, there is a forecast for heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) at isolated places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Deogarh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is also likely at isolated places over the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Nuapada.

Squally surface wind speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph gusting 60kmph is likely over north adjoining the west-central Bay of Bengal from August 12-14 and along & off Odisha coast on August 14.

On Wednesday, the MeT office informed about the formation of a fresh low pressure over the north Bay of Bengal around August 13. The system is likely to intensify in the subsequent 24 hours and move west-northwestwards thereafter, it added.