Bhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in eight districts over the next 24 hours as a depression moved north-northwestwards into north Chhattisgarh, the IMD said on Friday.
The Met Centre in Bhubaneswar issued an orange warning for Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Mayurbhanj, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places during the period ending 8.30 am on Saturday.
A yellow warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Anugola, Dhenkanal, Debagada, Subarnapur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Rayagada and Malkangiri.
The depression over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south interior Odisha moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 5.30 pm on Friday over north Chhattisgarh, near 22.0°N and 82.2°E, close to south-southeast of Bilaspur.
The system is very likely to continue moving north-northwestwards towards southeast Uttar Pradesh across north Chhattisgarh and northeast Madhya Pradesh as a depression till Saturday evening, before weakening gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area during the subsequent 12 hours, the IMD said.
Light to moderate rain or thundershower is likely at most places over Odisha till 8.30 am on Saturday and at many places during the following 24 hours.
Squally winds of 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, are prevailing over north Chhattisgarh, north interior Odisha, northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Jharkhand. The wind speed is likely to reduce gradually from Saturday.
The IMD has also warned of moderate to rough sea conditions over the westcentral and northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off the Odisha, north Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal coasts till Saturday morning. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into these areas during the period.
The IMD has forecast a moderate flash flood risk over some watersheds and neighbourhoods in 19 Odisha districts during the next 24 hours, including Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Kataka, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Puri, Anugola, Debagada, Balangir, Baragada, Gajapati, Nuapada, Nabarangpur and Rayagada.
The weather office recorded 4 cm of rainfall in Nabarangpur and 3 cm each in Bhadrak and Dhenkanal during the 24 hours ending 5.30 pm Friday.
The system is under continuous surveillance by Doppler Weather Radars at Sambalpur and Raipur. Lower Local Cautionary Signal No-III (LC-III) has been hoisted at all ports in Odisha.
