Low Pressure To Turn Well Marked & Unleash Extremely Heavy Rain In Odisha; IMD Issues Red, Orange Warning

Bhubaneswar: The low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal is likely to become well marked and trigger heavy to very heavy rain in Odisha, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

The system is likely to move north-northwestwards during next two days and become a well-marked low pressure area over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal. Thereafter, it is likely to move west-northwestwards, across Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and adjoining areas.

Several parts of Odisha have been experiencing light to moderate rain and thunderstorms since Thursday night. Rainfall activity will continue till the morning of August 20 with increased intensity, potentially disrupting normal life in some areas.

The weather agency issued a red warning of isolated heavy to very heavy rain (7 to 20cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm) at one or two places of Balasore and Bhadrak districts by Saturday morning.

It may cause flash flood/water logging in low lying areas, inundation of agriculture field, Mudslides/landslides in vulnerable hilly areas amid possibility of some damage to informal/kutcha road, wall collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses. It may lead to significant rise in water level of rivers.

Similarly, yellow warning was issued for rainfall (7 to 11cm) at one or two places of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Gajapati.

Aug 17

Orange warning: Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak.
Yellow Warning: Heavy rain (7 to 11cm) is likely to occur at one or two places of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir, Boudh, and Sonepur districts.

Aug 18

Yellow Warning: Heavy rain (7 to 11cm) may occur at one or two places over the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, and Nuapada.

Aug 19

Yellow Warning: Heavy rain (7 to 11cm) is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, and Sambalpur.

In view of the weather forecast, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed the Collectors of the districts concerned to keep administrative machinery ready to face any eventuality.

They have been asked to keep the drains/ stormwater channels de-congested, and adequate de-watering pumps may be deployed as per requirement. Movement of vehicles and people on overtopping roads/bridges should be restricted.