Torrential rains battered several parts of Odisha, including the capital city of Bhubaneswar, on Thursday as a low-pressure system developed over the Bay of Bengal, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.
Jagatsinghpur recorded the highest rainfall on Thursday at 57.2 mm, followed by Dhenkanal with 46 mm, Bhubaneswar with 28.9 mm, Kendrapara with 27 mm, and Baripada with 20 mm.
The heavy rainfall over the past three days has triggered landslides on the Sitapali Ghaat road within Manamakonda panchayat in the Kalimela block of Malkangiri district, severely disrupting vehicular movement in the area, a local official said.
Manorama Mohanty, the Director of the IMD Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, stated that the prevailing low-pressure system is expected to bring moderate to heavy rainfall across several parts of Odisha during the next few days.
Mohanty said that a low-pressure area has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining coasts of north Odisha and West Bengal, driven by a cyclonic circulation active over the northwest Bay of Bengal and the neighboring north Odisha coast.
The weather system is expected to intensify and become significantly more marked over the next two to three days, she added.
Furthermore, Mohanty warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated pockets experiencing extremely heavy downpours, is highly likely in the districts of Koraput and Malkangiri on Friday, prompting the weather bureau to issue a ‘Red’ alert (take action) for these two southern districts.
According to an IMD bulletin, Kalahandi, Nabrangpur, Rayagada and Gajapati districts have been put under ‘orange’ warning (be prepared to take action) and ‘yellow’ warning (be aware) has been issued for Balasore, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh districts for Friday.
Similar weather condition would continue at least for another three days, it said.
