Under the influence of the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday predicted continued downpours in several parts of Odisha, including the coastal town of Puri, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have assembled for the annual Rath Yatra.
The IMD’s latest weather bulletin indicated that the current system is highly expected to develop into a well-marked low-pressure area and move northwestward across north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal during the next 12 hours.
As a result of the atmospheric disturbance, heavy rainfall is anticipated on Thursday across the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurdha, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, and Boudh.
The meteorology bulletin noted that the maximum rainfall was recorded at Banki in the Cuttack district, reaching 210 mm during the 24-hour window ending at 8:30 am on Thursday, while nine other locations experienced intense rainfall ranging between 115 mm and 210 mm during the period.
Rainfall activity would continue in the pilgrim town of Puri for at least another six hours, stretching until 4 pm, according to Manorama Mohanty, the Director of the IMD’s Bhubaneswar Centre.
Mohanty cautioned the gathering devotees to remain highly vigilant against potential lightning strikes and thunderstorms, especially as lakhs of devotees braved the continuous downpour to observe the sacred ‘Pahandi’ ritual – the grand ceremonial transit of the divine siblings Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath out of the temple, signalling the start of the nine-day Rath Yatra.
Additionally, the IMD advised that in the event of severe rainfall or lightning, pilgrims should strictly seek cover inside permanent buildings rather than standing under trees, electric poles, or temporary structures.
