Bhubaneswar: A well-marked low-pressure area (LPA) over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression within the next 24 hours and subsequently develop into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the south and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal around the evening of November 16, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its midday weather bulletin on Saturday.
Under its influence, rainfall activity is likely to increase across Odisha from November 18, with the IMD issuing an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in several districts on November 19 and 20. The weather office has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph in vulnerable areas.
According to the bulletin, the system, which persisted over the same region at 8.30 am on Saturday, is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours. Thereafter, it is expected to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the south and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal around November 16 evening.
The IMD has forecast dry weather across all districts of Odisha from November 14 to 18, with no weather warnings during this period.
However, for November 18-19, a yellow warning has been issued for heavy rainfall at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, and Khordha districts. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds of 40-50 kmph are also likely at isolated places in several districts, including Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghapur, Kataka, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh.
For November 19-20, the IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri districts. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph are also very likely in these three districts.
A yellow warning has been issued for heavy rainfall in Kendrapada, Jagatsinghapur, Kataka, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Khordha and Nayagarh districts during the same period.
The weather office has further forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places across the state on November 19.
The wet spell is likely to continue on November 20-21, when light to moderate rain or thundershowers are expected at most places across Odisha.
An orange warning has been issued for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Jagatsinghapur, Kataka, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh districts on November 20-21. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, are also likely in these districts.
A yellow warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Kalahandi, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts.
Meanwhile, dry weather prevailed across Odisha during the past 24 hours. Dense fog was reported at isolated places in Sundargarh and Koraput, while shallow fog occurred in Jharsuguda and Phulbani districts.
The highest maximum temperature of 32.6 degrees Celsius was recorded at Paralakhemundi, while Phulbani recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 14 degrees Celsius in the plains.
The IMD said minimum temperatures are likely to remain largely unchanged over the next four days before rising by 2-4 degrees Celsius thereafter.
For Bhubaneswar and its neighbourhood, partly cloudy skies with haze are likely during the next 24 hours, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 31 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The weather office has not issued any warning for fishermen along the Odisha coast for November 14-18.
