Very Heavy Rain To Lash Odisha After 3-Day Heatwave Alert; Low Pressure Over Bay May End Up As Monsoon Depression

Bhubaneswar: Amid the prevailing hot and humid wether conditions and thunderstorm activity, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted return of heatwave in Odisha for three days from May 21 followed by heavy rain from May 24.

According to the midday bulletin, isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall may occur in Odisha from May 20-24 and increase thereafter with scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) from May 25-28.  Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely in north Odisha on May 24-25 under the influence of a trough, running from northwest Uttar Pradesh to east Bangladesh in lower tropospheric levels.

Hot and humid weather may persists in Odisha on May 20 and heatwave condition in isolated pockets from May 21-23, it added.

Yellow waring of hot & humid weather condition has been issued for one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati on May 20. Thunderstorm with lightning may also occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar districts.

On May 21, heatwave condition is likely at one or two places in Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Bargarh, Boudh, and Balangir. The Met office has also issued yellow warning of thunderstorm with lightning at one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, and Koraput.

On May 22, heatwave may prevail at one or two places in Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Bargarh, Boudh, and Bolangir. Thunderstorm with lightning is also likely at one or two places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj.

On May 23, yellow warning of heatwave has been sounded for one or two places in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bargarh, and Nuapada. Thunderstorm with lightning may also occur in Sundargarh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Jharsuguda districts.

The day temperature is likely to rise by 2-4 degree Celsius during this period.

The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall for two days in the state thereafter. On May 24, heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at one or two places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and heavy rainfall at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Cuttack. Thunderstorm with lightning accompanied by gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph is also likely at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj districts. Thunderstorm with lightning accompanied with gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph may occur at one or two places in Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.

On May 25, heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Mayurbhanj and heavy rainfall at one or two places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jajpur and Keonjhar.

It has also forecast formation of a low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal around May 22. “The system is likely to move initially northeastwards and concentrate into a depression over central parts of Bay of Bengal by morning of May 24.”

Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over central Bay of Bengal from May 23 morning. “It would extend to adjoining areas of North Bay of Bengal from May 24, with increased wind speed of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph. Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough over central Bay of Bengal from May 23 and over North Bay of Bengal from May 24 onwards. Fishermen are advised not to venture into central Bay of Bengal from May 23 and into North Bay of Bengal from May 24. Fishermen who were out at the sea are advised to return to the coast before May 23.”

However, the weather agency has so far made no prediction on formation of cyclone. “IMD is keeping a close watch on the likely system. It is too early to tell the path or intensity of the low pressure. It is likely to move initially northeastwards and concentrate into a depression over central Bay of Bengal around May 24. I request the people not to panic and not to spread any wrong information,” director of the IMD’s regional centre here Manorama Mohanty had earlier told the media.

A senior scientist at IMD told the TNIE that the system may evolve as a cyclone ‘Remal’ moving to the east coast. The advancing southwest monsoon wind, however, can prove to be a restricting factor. “If that’s the case, this will end up as a monsoon depression bringing rains, otherwise, it could develop into a weak cyclone of a short duration,” Dr Roxy Koll, a climate scientist and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lead author, was quoted as saying.