Bhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to witness widespread rainfall and thunderstorms over the next seven days, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing orange warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj on August 24, 26 and 27, and for Mayurbhanj on August 25. The weather office has also forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in several districts during the period.
According to the IMD’s midday bulletin issued on Friday, light to moderate rain or thundershower is very likely at a few places across all districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours. A yellow warning has been issued for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds of up to 30-40 kmph at one or two places in 15 districts, including Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Sundaragada, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagada.
The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershower at many places in northern and western Odisha on August 22-23, while isolated heavy rainfall is likely in Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur on August 22. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are also likely in several districts.
On August 23, heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Sundargada, Baragada, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balangir and Kalahandi, with thunderstorms and gusty winds expected across a number of districts.
The weather is expected to intensify further on August 24, when heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj, prompting an orange warning. A yellow warning has also been issued for heavy rainfall in Jajpur, Sundaragada, Debagada, Anugola and Dhenkanal.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mayurbhanj on August 25, with an orange warning, while heavy rainfall is likely in Jajpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Balangir.
On August 26, an orange warning has been issued for Mayurbhanj for heavy to very heavy rainfall, while Baleshwar, Jajpur, Sundaragada, Jharsuguda, Baragada, Sambalpur and Keonjhar are likely to receive heavy rainfall at isolated places. On August 27, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, again prompting an orange warning.
The IMD said there is no large change expected in the weather pattern during the subsequent three days from August 28 to 31.
The forecast comes amid a prevailing monsoon system, with the monsoon trough extending across central and eastern parts of the country to the northeast Bay of Bengal. An upper-air cyclonic circulation is also prevailing over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh, while another circulation persists over the westcentral adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and the north Andhra Pradesh-South Odisha coasts.
Light to moderate rainfall was recorded at a few places in Odisha during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday. Nayagada and Kakatpur in Puri recorded the highest rainfall of 3 cm each, followed by 2 cm each at several locations including Narla, Astaranga, Ranpur, Bhapur, Mathili, Bolagarh, Jatni and Kirmira.
The IMD said the heavy rainfall could lead to localised flooding, waterlogging in low-lying areas, closure of underpasses, traffic disruption, reduced visibility, minor damage to kutcha roads and vulnerable structures, and possible landslides and inundation of standing crops. It also warned of the possibility of riverine flooding in some catchments.
In Bhubaneswar, the sky is likely to remain generally cloudy over the next 24 hours, with the possibility of rain or thundershower. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to remain around 35 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The IMD has not issued any weather warning for fishermen along the Odisha coast for the five-day period from August 21 to 25.
