A high alert has been sounded across all districts of Odisha following a well-marked low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression. The system is projected to trigger severe rainfall across the coastal state over the next few days, prompting emergency management teams to brace for potential contingencies.
According to latest updates from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of North Odisha-West Bengal coasts concentrated into a depression and lay centred 50 km south-southeast of Balasore and south-southwest of Digha.
The weather office said that the system is very likely to cross the north Odisha coast between Chandbali and Digha over the next day.
In anticipation of extreme weather conditions, the IMD has placed Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, and Kandhamal under a ‘red’ warning – the highest level of colour-coded warning for immediate protective action against torrential rains.
Similarly, an ‘orange’ alert, asking people to be prepared to take action in case of any calamity, has been issued for 19 additional districts while six remaining districts have put under ‘yellow’ alert.
Under the influence of the low pressure, sea conditions along the coast are expected to remain rough to very rough between July 5 and July 7. The maritime authorities have issued a strict ban advising all local fishermen against venturing out into open waters during this three-day period.
The heavy monsoon downpours have already drenched vast expanses of the state, with Khajurpada in Kandhamal district recording a peak of 276 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour window ending Sunday morning. This was closely followed by Tureikela in Bolangir district at 264 mm, while major urban centers also witnessed intense spells, with twin cities Cuttack and Bhubaneswar logging 124.8 mm and 119.4 mm of precipitation respectively.
