Heavy rain likely in 19 Odisha districts, says IMD

Bhubaneswar: As the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a well-marked system, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday forecast heavy rainfall in 19 of the 30 districts of Odisha.

The IMD cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea for the next 24 hours in the north Bay of Bengal as under the influence of the well-marked low-pressure squally wind speed of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph likely to prevail along and off north Odisha.

In its morning bulletin, the IMD said: “The low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh, West Bengal and north Odisha moved north northwestwards and lay as a well-marked low-pressure area over southwest Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal at 0530 hours IST of Monday. It is likely to move northwestwards and concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours.”

The IMD issued a ‘red’ warning of extremely heavy rainfall of above 20 centimetres in three districts- Mayurbhanj, Keonhar and Sundargarh, ‘Orange’ warning of very heavy rainfall of 12 cm to 20 cm in five districts – Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore.

A yellow warning (heavy rainfall of 7 cm to 11 cm) was issued for 11 other districts.

The weather agency has also warned of local flooding, landslides, damage to standing crops and kutcha houses, disruption of traffic and inland water transport due to waterlogging and poor visibility.

PTI

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