Low Pressure Forms Off South Odisha Coast; Oranger Alert Of Very Heavy Rain For Today

Bhubaneswar: A low pressure area has formed over Northwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Tuesday.

Under its influence, Odisha is likely to experience light/moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thunderstorm and lightning with isolated heavy rainfall activity till September 7. Isolated very heavy rainfall is also likely on September 5, it added.

The weather agency had earlier issued orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall for isolated places in Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur on Tuesday (September 5). Heavy rain may also lash isolated places in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, Sonepur and Sambalpur.

It has warned of temporary waterlogging at low-lying areas, poor visibility during intense spells of rain and traffic congestion in urban areas. There is also a possibility of inundation of low-lying agricultural fields. Farmers have been advised to postpone fertilizer/chemicals application in agricultural field and keep livestock/domestic animals at safe places.

The intensity of rain in the state is likely to decrease thereafter.

On September 6, heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) may occur at isolated places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nuapada, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Balangir. Similar warning has been sounded for the subsequent 24 hours (September 7) with heavy rainfall likely at isolated places in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Balangir, Nabarangpur and Nuapada. There is no heavy rain warning thereafter.

Notably, the state has been experiencing some intense spells of rain for the past few days after a subdued monsoon and recorded 16.7 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours with the highest of 142.4 mm in Belaguntha block of Ganjam district. Besides Belaguntha, Suliapada (132 mm) and Khunta (103 mm) in Mayurbhanj district recorded more than 100 mm rainfall.

The rainfall recorded September 1-5 was 50.1 mm against the monthly average of 231.9 mm, the MeT office added.