IMD issues heavy rainfall warnings for Odisha till August 27

Bhubaneswar, Aug 22: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday predicted that several parts of Odisha are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy showers and thunderstorms till August 26. The forecast has raised concerns as the state continues to remain vulnerable to flood-like conditions during the monsoon.

According to IMD, a fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts around August 25. This system is expected to trigger another spell of heavy rain in north and interior Odisha from August 27 onwards. To caution people, the IMD has issued red, orange, and yellow warnings for various districts.

A red warning has been issued for Sundargarh till Saturday morning, where extremely heavy rain along with thunderstorms and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are expected. Orange warnings have been issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda, while yellow warnings have been declared for Deogarh, Angul, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Balasore, Bhadrak, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam districts.

Other districts including Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Kendrapara, Jajpur, and Koraput may also experience thunderstorms with lightning and strong surface winds. Authorities have advised residents to remain cautious, avoid waterlogged areas, and follow safety instructions issued by local administrations.