BHUBANESWAR: Heavy rains in coastal districts of Odisha under the influence of cyclonic storm ‘Sitrang’ may throw cold water on Diwali festivities on Monday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.
Light to moderate rainfall/thundershower activity is likely to occur at many places over north coastal districts, and at a few places in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and south coastal districts on Monday.
“The tropical storm will trigger rains in coastal and interior districts on Monday. The rainfall activity will likely reduce in Odisha from Tuesday onwards,” said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Director HR Biswas.
Squally wind speed reaching 45 km/ph to 55 km/ph and gusting up to 65 km/ph will prevail along and off Odisha coast on Monday. Wind speed reaching 45 km/ph to 55 km/ph and gusting up to 65 km/ph is likely to prevail along and off Balasore district and 40 km/ph to 50 km/ph and gusting up to 60 km/ph is expected over the remaining north coastal region on Tuesday.
The IMD has advised the fishermen not to venture into the sea off the Odisha coast till Tuesday. On Sunday morning, the prevailing depression strengthened into a deep depression over the west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal.
It moved nearly northwards with a speed of 11 km/ph in the past six hours and intensified into a cyclonic storm Sitrang, the name proposed by Thailand, at 5.30 pm over west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal, about 580 km south of Sagar Island and 740 km south-southwest of Barisal in Bangladesh.
Sitrang will likely move north-northeastwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on Monday. The tropical storm will continue to move north-northeastwards and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona and Sandwip Islands, close to Barisal around early Tuesday morning, IMD said.