Odisha: IMD warns of heavy rain, strong winds as depression forms over Bay of Bengal

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a warning of very heavy rainfall accompanying thunderstorms and strong wind speed reaching up to 50 km/h at many places of the state for the next couple of days due to the fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.

The IMD in its latest bulletin has informed that the well-marked Low-Pressure area intensified into a depression and lay centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal off the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast.

The agency further forecast that the system will further intensify into a deep depression and cross the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast on October 3.

“It is very likely to continue to move northwestwards, intensify further into a deep depression and cross Odisha and adjoining Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Paradip during the early morning of 3rd October,” IMD forecast.

The agency also predicted heavy rainfall in various districts in different parts of the state during the next couple of days.

The IMD has issued a red warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls and thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph to occur at one or two places over the coastal districts of Jagatsinghpur and Puri on October 2.

Similarly, an orange alert has been issued about very heavy rainfall at different places in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, and Dhenkanal districts on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the IMD issued an orange warning about heavy to very heavy rain in some places over the districts of Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Bargarh in October.

The low-pressure system is likely to bring heavy rainfall throughout the state during the above period.

The IMD has advised residents of districts under red and orange warnings to closely monitor weather conditions and remain prepared to move to safer locations if required. It has also recommended the suspension of fishing operations and the movement of ships in affected areas.

–IANS