Very heavy rainfall expected in Odisha as depression looms

BHUBANESHWAR, (PTI): Parts of Odisha received very heavy rain on Sunday with the state still bracing for more downpour over the next three days due to a depression that is set to take shape over the Bay of Bengal.

A low pressure area, which formed on Saturday, has concentrated into a well-marked system over the northwest Bay of Bengal off the coasts of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh, the Met office said.

It is expected to intensify into a depression during the next 48 hours and move northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre explained.

A red alert of extremely heavy rainfall of over 200 mm has been issued for some places in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts till Monday morning, the Met office said, adding that the monsoon trough was passing through Jharsuguda.

Nabarangpur recorded 126 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Sunday, followed by 44 mm in Malkangiri. Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi received 36 mm of rain, while Koraput witnessed 26 mm precipitation, according to a bulletin.

Fisherfolk have been advised not to venture off the coast till Thursday morning as squally weather with wind speed of 45-55 kmph and gusting up to 65 kmph is very likely over the northwestern Bay of Bengal. The weatherman issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rain in the districts of Khurda, Puri, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Koraput on Monday.

Downpour can also occur in a few places in Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Subarnapur.

Extremely heavy rainfall is a possibility in a few places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Keonjhar on Tuesday. It may trigger flash floods, landslides or mudslides in vulnerable hilly areas and cause damage to susceptible roads and houses, the Met office added. (PTI)