Heavy Rain May Batter Odisha For 3 More Days, Resume Again From August 23

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to experience heavy rainfall for another 3 days under the influence of a low-pressure, which persists over south Bangladesh and neighbourhood, and again from July 23, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Sunday.

The system is likely to intensify into a well-marked low-pressure area over the same region by August 19 and move westnorthwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and adjoining Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Madhya Pradesh during the subsequent 3-4 days, according to the midday bulletin.

The weather agency has predicted heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) and thunderstorm with lightning at one or two places in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Koraput and Kalahandi districts on Sunday (August 18).

Bhubaneswar may experience cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershower.

Heavy rain may continue at one or two places in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts during the subsequent 24 hours. There is a forecast for heavy rain at one or two places in Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Bargarh on August 20.

While there is no warning for next two days, heavy rain may resume at one or two places in North Odisha on August 23 and continue on August 24, it added.

Meanwhile, the rainfall deficit in Odisha has dropped to 11%. The state has received 686.5 mm rainfall against its normal value of 772.8 mm between June 1 and August 18. While three districts have received excess rain, 16 are normal and 11 in deficit category.