Bhubaneswar: The Deep Depression over Northwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal crossed the South Odisha coast near Gopalpur around 5 pm today, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Going by the latest weather update provided by the regional weather office, the system moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 17 kmph during past six hours with maximum sustained wind speeds of 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph.
“As of 5:30 pm IST, the deep depression is centered over south coastal Odisha, near latitude 19.4N and longitude 84.8E, close to Gopalpur”, read the IMD weather update.
The IMD predicts that it will continue to move north-northwestwards across South Odisha and gradually weaken into a depression by tomorrow morning.
The IMD has issued a red warning for several districts in Odisha, forecasting scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy downpours expected within the next 24 hours. The districts likely to be affected include Puri, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal.
The weather conditions are likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty surface winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 km/h, gusting up to 60 km/h at one or two places.
Residents in the affected areas are advised to remain vigilant and follow safety guidelines.
