BHUBANESWAR: With a fresh low-pressure area forming over Bay of Bengal on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rainfall in Odisha for the next two days while parts of the state are also expected to witness heavy deluge during this period.
As per the national weather body, an upper air cyclonic circulation formed over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Bangladesh on Tuesday which triggered development of a low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal off north Odisha-West Bengal coasts at around 5.30 am on the day.
“It is likely to become a well-marked low-pressure area and move north-westwards across north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal during next two days, it added.
Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said the weather system will have maximum impact on Thursday and Friday.
The regional met office has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts and heavy rainfall at isolated places in 13 districts on Thursday.
Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 40 kmph to 50 kmph and gusting up to 60 kmph is likely to prevail along and off Odisha coast till Friday. As the sea condition is expected to be rough to very rough, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea during this period.
In the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, three places recorded very heavy rains and 21 received heavy rains. The three places which witnessed very heavy downpour are Puri with 143.8 mm rains, Derabis 135 mm and Pattamundai 129 mm rains.
Odisha, which witnessed a relatively dry June, has made up for the massive rain deficit this month due to the downpour triggered by two low-pressure areas within a span of two weeks. The state recorded 371.5 mm rains between June 1 and July 15 against its average of 357.4 mm, a departure of four per cent. However, seven districts are currently under deficient rainfall category.