All the districts in Odisha have been put on alert by the state government in the wake of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensifying into a well-marked system and taking the shape of a depression in the next 24 hour.
The authorities have also directed the district collectors to remain fully prepared to handle any situation.
In a letter to district collectors, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) instructed there should be fool-proof preparations to tackle the ensuing calamity as forecast by the India Meterological Department (IMD).
The state government is on high alert, with back-to-back low-pressure systems expected over the Bay of Bengal in October, traditionally a “cyclone month” for the state.
An official at the revenue department claimed, the state is concerned as in last four decades, most of the devastating cyclones have hit the Odisha coast in October, mostly after the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed the high alert. While the IMD has yet to forecast a full-fledged cyclone, the national weather agency anticipates the state will witness heavy rain from the evolving low-pressure systems.
“We have asked all district collectors to remain alert in view of forecasts of heavy rain due to the low pressure systems over the bay,” he said.
Pujari added that while the IMD has forecast rainfall, some international weather models predict a more severe situation, including the possibility of a cyclone. “The IMD’s forecasts are usually accurate, but we are preparing for all eventualities,” he said.
In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal became a well-marked low pressure area and it is likely to move westnorthwestwards and intensify into a depression over southwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by Wednesday afternoon.
“Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts and intensify further during subsequent 24 hours,” the IMD said.
The minister noted that the IMD forecast suggests southern districts of Odisha are likely to receive the highest rainfall.
Meanwhile, the weather office issued a ‘yellow’ warning (be aware) for several districts for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Thunderstorm, accompanied by gusty surface wind with speed reaching 30-40 kmph, is likely to occur at one or two places over Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Boudh, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri till 8.30 am on Wednesday,” the IMD added.
For Wednesday, the weather office stated thundershowers accompanied with gusty surface wind speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagah, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.
