BHUBANESWAR: Bring out your raincoats and umbrellas this Durga Puja as the rains cast a shadow on the Dussehra festivities with back-to-back systems predicted over the weekend.
Weather experts said Durga Puja is expected to not only start on a rainy note but the showers may continue during the festival too.
Director of SOA University’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) Sarat Sahu said another cyclonic circulation may form over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts on October 1. It may intensify into a low pressure on October 2 and move in northeast direction towards north Odisha-West Bengal coasts, he said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), however, has not come out with any prediction for next week yet.
Before that, more showers are in store in the run-up to the Puja in Odisha. A fresh weather system is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal within 24 hours. The national weather forecaster said an upper air cyclonic circulation formed over coastal areas of central Myanmar and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. It is likely to move westwards and intensify into a low pressure area over north and adjoining central Bay of Bengal in next 24 hours.
The system is expected to concentrate into a depression over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts on Friday and cross the coast around Saturday. This would bring in rains, squally weather with wind speed reaching 40 km to 50 km per hour along and off Odisha coast, north and central Bay of Bengal between Friday and Sunday. Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea during the period.
Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said the low pressure is likely to form on Thursday and may have maximum impact over Odisha on Friday and Saturday. Heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty surface wind are likely to occur in Koraput and Rayagada districts on Friday and in Nabarangpur district a day later.
Meanwhile, the prevailing low pressure triggered extremely heavy rainfall (204.4 mm and more at one place) and very heavy rainfall (115.6 mm to 204.4 mm) at eight places.
In the last 24 hours, Burla recorded extremely heavy showers of 230 mm rain. Hatadihi in Keonjhar, Ambabhona in Bargarh, Dhankauda in Sambalpur and Sambalpur town received very heavy rains (180 mm each). Hirakud received 160 mm rain, followed by Umerkote and Tiring (130 mm each) and Attabira (120 mm).
In fact, 24 districts received large excess rainfall (60 per cent or more) and three recorded excess between Tuesday and Wednesday.