Low Pressure Forms Over Bay; Extremely Heavy Rain To Batter Odisha As IMD Issues Orange Alert

Bhubaneswar: A low pressure area formed over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas on Thursday, raising the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall at several places of Odisha, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It said the cyclonic circulation that prevailed over northwest Bay of Bengal intensified into low pressure area over the same region. Under its influence, intense cloud band are now moving across coastal Odisha into the interior districts as observed in Paradip Radar.

The low pressure is likely to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) for one or two places in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri till 8.30 am on Friday. The MeT Centre has issued an orange warning for intense rainfall.

There is also possibility of extremely heavy rainfall (> 20 cm) at one or two places in Boudh, Kandhamal and Kalahandi.

Yellow warning  of heavy Rainfall (7 to 11cm) has also been sounded for one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Bargarh, Rayagada, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh.

Thunderstorm with lightning may also occur in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Angul, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Boudh. The intensity of rain is likely to decrease steadily thereafter.

On August 18, heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is likely at one or two places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Balangir and Nuapada. Heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) may also occur at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh.

The IMD has warned of temporary water logging in low-lying areas, poor visibility during intense spells of rain and traffic congestion in urban areas. There is also a possibility of wall collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses and some damages of kutcha road. Landslides are also likely in vulnerable hilly areas in Malkangiri, Koraput, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts.

There is heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) forecast for one or two places in Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Bargarh, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh during the subsequent 24 hours (August 19), it added.