Fresh Low Pressure Over Bay May Trigger Very Heavy Rain In Odisha, Bring Down Deficit

Bhubaneswar: Odisha will continue to experience heavy rain and the intensity of downpour may increase with the likely formation of a fresh low pressure area over westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on July 19.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rainfall may occur at one or two places in Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati districts on July 17. Light to moderate rain/thundershower is also likely at many places in South Odisha and at a few places in the northern districts of the state.

Bhubaneswar may also experience cloudy sky with possibility of moderate rain or thundershower.

On July 18, heavy rain is likely at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Malkangiri districts.

The weather agency has forecast heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Rayagada and heavy rain at one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jajpur, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur on July 19.

On July 20, heavy to very heavy rainfall may continue at one or two places in Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts. Heavy rain may also lash one or two places in Gajapati, Nuapada, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Balangir, Ganjam and Nayagarh.

Rainfall activities in the state had intensified after formation of a low-pressure zone northwest of the west-central Bay of Bengal, off the South Odisha coast on July 15. The system now lies over southeast Madhya Pradesh and neighbourhood.

The prolonged rainfall amid two back-to-back systems is expected to bring down the deficit percentage in the state. As many as 19 districts are experiencing deficit rainfall in the range of -59 per cent to -20 per cent. Seasonal cumulative rainfall recorded from June 1 to July 17 is 280.1mm against its normal value of 382.8mm.