Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rainfall alerts as the depression over south coastal Odisha weakens and moves west-northwestwards. The system was centered on Tuesday near latitude 19.8°N and longitude 84.0°E, about 50 km north-northwest of Daringbadi and 90 km east of Bhawanipatna.
The IMD said the depression is likely to continue moving west-northwest across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area within the next 12 hours.
An orange warning has been issued for heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph in the districts of Nabarangpur and Kalahandi. A yellow warning is in place for similar weather conditions in Nuapada, Bolangir, Koraput, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Angul, and Dhenkanal.
Other districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and several others are also likely to experience thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds over the next 24 hours.
The IMD further cautioned fishermen not to venture into the deep sea over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha coast on August 19 and 20. Fishermen already at sea have been advised to return to the coast immediately.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with gusty winds are also expected from August 21 to 23 in various parts of Odisha.
