Low Pressure Likely Over BoB By August 16; Heavy Rain To Lash Odisha In Next 72 Hours

Bhubaneswar: While drought situation seems imminent in 22 districts of Odisha due to scanty rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said a low-pressure area, which is most likely to form over the Bay of Bengal by August 16, will trigger heavy rainfall in the state in the next 72 hours.

According to the IMD, a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the west-central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining North Bay of Bengal on August 14. This cyclonic circulation will further intensify into a low-pressure area by August 16. The system will gradually move towards the Andhra Pradesh coast and then towards Telangana through Visakhapatnam.

Under its influence, there will be heavy rain in the south coastal Odisha, especially in Koraput district. Apart from this, there will be moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall in north Odisha, it added.

The IMD, in its monsoon seasonal rainfall and departure data, has said that

Going by district average cumulative rainfall between August 1 and 11, the IMD had said that there has been deficient rainfall (-59%–20%) in 22 districts in Odisha while the remaining eight districts – Koraput, Nuapada, Sundagarh, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri have received normal rainfall (-19%-+19%).

“During the monsoon season this year, four low pressures formed over the Bay of Bengal. Odisha received more rainfall under the influence of only one low pressure,” the Met office maintained.