BHUBANESWAR: A wet Bahuda Yatra of the Holy Trinity in Puri and a rainy weekend are in the offing for the state as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted formation of a fresh cyclonic circulation and a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal. The new weather system is expected to trigger widespread rainfall over Odisha between Friday and Monday.
In its extended range outlook for two weeks (July 24 to 30 and July 31 to August 6), the national weather forecaster said a fresh upper air cyclonic circulation is likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal around Saturday. Under its influence, a low pressure area is expected to form over the same region on Sunday, it said.
It is likely to move nearly northwestwards across north Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh, adjoining east Madhya Pradesh and southeast Uttar Pradesh during subsequent three to four days, said the IMD.
Experts said the fresh weather system may trigger widespread rains over Odisha. The Bhubaneswar meteorological centre said light to moderate rainfall or thundershower activity is likely to occur at a few places over all the districts of Odisha between Friday and Monday.
After enduring a dry June, the state witnessed a robust monsoon revival in July, now recording an overall surplus in seasonal rainfall. According to the IMD, Odisha received an average of 536.7 mm rains between June 1 and July 23 as against its average 458.8 mm, marking a 17 per cent surplus, thanks to two low pressure systems which formed in quick successions earlier this month.
This strong performance has more than offset the severe shortfall of 47 pc the previous month. Despite El Nino, two cyclonic circulations formed over the Bay of Bengal and intensified into low pressure areas so far this month.
El Nino discourages cyclonic circulations by favouring sinking air over South Asia. However, these weather systems build on local heat and moisture, the same ingredients behind any thunderstorm and the sea is holding plenty of warm surface water to fuel them, said a weather expert.