The Odisha government has placed all districts on high alert following forecasts of heavy rainfall, which is expected due to a low-pressure area developing over the Bay of Bengal, officials reported on Wednesday.
In a bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed the a “well-marked low-pressure area” prevails over the west-central Bay of Bengal.
“It is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a depression over westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal by morning of October 2. Continuing to move further north-northwestwards, it is likely to intensify further into a deep depression and cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts during early morning of October 3,” the IMD said.
The officials said the state government officials have directed all district collectors to prepare personnel and machinery to manage potential impacts such as waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, and related issues.
The IMD issued an alert for light to moderate rainfall across 25 of the 30 districts of the state and isolated heavy rain from 7 cm to 11 cm in the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur for Wednesday (October 1).
On October 2, all the 30 districts of Odisha are likely to experience rainfall, the bulletin said.
Moderate rainfall from 7 cm to 20 cm is expected in isolated places of Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri, and 7 cm to 11 cm in the districts of Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, on October 2, the iMD said in the bulletin.
Fishermen have been issued an advisory not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast from October 1 to October 4.
Separately, IMD scientist U S Das confirmed in a post on X that the annual monsoon season ended on Tuesday.
