Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a Red Warning for extremely heavy rainfall in three districts of Odisha as a Deep Depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-North Odisha coasts continued to move slowly northwards and is likely to cross the West Bengal-North Odisha coast between Balasore and Canning by Monday afternoon.
According to the IMD’s midday weather bulletin, the Deep Depression was centred at 8:30 am over the northwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 21.4°N and longitude 88.1°E. It lay around 120 km east-southeast of Balasore, 30 km south of Sagar Island, 70 km east-southeast of Digha, 90 km south of Diamond Harbour and 110 km south-southwest of Canning. The system is expected to move nearly north-northwestwards before making landfall between Balasore and Canning later in the day.
For the next 24 hours, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at most places across Odisha. A Red Warning has been issued for Sundaragada, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely.
An Orange Warning has been sounded for Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nabarangpur districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 50-60 kmph are also expected at isolated places over Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj.
A Yellow Warning has been issued for Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh districts for heavy rainfall. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are also likely at isolated places over Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh.
The weather office has forecast that heavy rainfall activity will gradually ease after Tuesday, though isolated heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue over parts of the state during the next seven days. Yellow warnings for thunderstorms remain in force over several districts through the week, while heavy rainfall warnings continue for Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj during August 1-2 and for Sundargarh, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj on August 2-3.
The IMD has cautioned that the expected heavy rainfall could lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas, localised flooding, traffic disruption, minor damage to vulnerable structures and standing crops, and possible landslides in susceptible areas. People have been advised to avoid waterlogged locations, stay indoors during thunderstorms and follow official weather advisories.
Meanwhile, squally weather with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, is expected to prevail along and off the Odisha coast till July 29. The sea is likely to remain rough to very rough, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast till July 29.
