BHUBANESWAR: As many as six flights were diverted to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar due to inclement weather in Kolkata on Monday morning.
Four flights of Indigo and one each from Air India and Spice Jet were diverted from Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport following heavy rains and lack of visibility in Kolkata.
All the diverted flights landed here between 10.30 am and 11 am. The Air India flight connecting Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar via Kolkata was sent directly to Biju Patnaik Airport here.
The diversion was prompted after heavy showers accompanied by depression-triggered strong wind formed on the south-east of Gangetic West Bengal and south of Bangladesh. The inclement weather affected flight visibility.
Earlier in the morning, the well-marked low pressure over the Bay of Bengal turned into a depression over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining North Bay of Bengal. It was located about 220 km East-North-East of Balasore and about 350 KM North-East of Paradip, the weather office said.
The system is very likely to move initially in the west-northwest direction and intensify into a deep depression during the next 24 hours. Under its impact, rain and thundershowers are likely to occur in most parts of North Odisha and many places over South Odisha districts over the next one day.
The met office has also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Angul, Dhenkanal and Maurbhanj districts. Parts of Sonepur, Deogarh, Boud, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur may also receive showers.
While hoisting Local Cautionary Signal Number-3 at Paradip and Gopalpur ports, the weather office said strong surface wind reaching a speed of 45 km to 55 km per hour gusting to 65 km may prevail along and off Odisha Coast. Accordingly, fishermen along the Odisha coast have been advised against venturing into the sea.