Incessant Rain Lashes Coastal Areas In Odisha After Brief Lull

Bhubaneswar: After two-three days of subdued monsoon, heavy rain lashed coastal districts of Odisha, including twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, on Tuesday morning.

Following a late onset of monsoon, the state has been witnessing less rain than normal after the initial heavy falls with the monsoon trough located northward. The regional centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) here had forecast thunderstorms and lightning at one or two places in southern and coastal districts of the state in the next 48 hours and a likely increase in rainfall activity from Tuesday.

The Met office had earlier issued yellow warning for heavy rain at one or two places in Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts during the next 24 hours. There is also a forecast for thunderstorm with lightning at one or two places in Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Deogarh and Keonjhar. Light to moderate rain is likely to continue at several places in southern districts of the state and a few places in North Odisha, it said in its Monday bulletin.

The IMD also issued nowcast warning for light to moderate rain/thundershower with lightning in some parts of Koraput, Khurda, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadark, kendrapada, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Boudh, Natagarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Puri this morning.

Meanwhile, SOA’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) in Bhubaneswar said that possibility of southeasterly wind flow from the Bay of Bengal towards the coast could trigger rainfall in the state between July 21 and July 23. “There is a probability of formation of a cyclonic circulation over the north-west Bay of Bengal which will increase precipitation in the state from July 18 and lead to creation of a low pressure area on the same day. This system will gradually intensify into a deep depression by July 20. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at most places between July 21 and 23 across north and western Odisha,” it said.