Heavy rainfall likely across Odisha till July 4 due to low pressure; IMD issues orange warning

Bhubaneswar, June 30: Odisha is bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds till July 4, as a low-pressure area continues to influence the regional weather.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system, which initially formed over the Northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts, has now moved over Gangetic West Bengal and its neighboring areas.

The IMD’s midday bulletin stated that the low-pressure system is likely to move slowly in a west-northwestward direction across north Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, and Jharkhand over the next two days.

An orange warning has been issued for several districts, including Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, and Koraput, where isolated places may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning, with surface wind speeds reaching 30–40 kmph.

From June 30 to July 2, squally weather with wind speeds of 35–45 kmph, gusting up to 55 kmph, is expected along and off the Odisha coast. Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough, prompting authorities to advise fishermen not to venture into the sea during this period. The southwest monsoon remains active across the region.