IMD issues orange alert for Odisha as cyclone may hit by Oct 27

Bhubaneswar, Oct 24: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a strong warning for Odisha, forecasting that a developing weather system in the Bay of Bengal could intensify into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday, October 27.

The state is expected to experience a significant increase in rainfall and wind speeds over the next five days, prompting the IMD to upgrade warnings to an Orange Alert for several coastal and interior districts. According to a midday bulletin from the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, a low-pressure area currently over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to concentrate into a depression by Saturday, strengthen into a deep depression by Sunday, and evolve into a cyclonic storm over the southwest Bay of Bengal by Monday morning.

The IMD’s five-day forecast predicts a gradual worsening of conditions. Days 1 and 2 (today and tomorrow) will see light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph in coastal and southern Odisha, under a Yellow Alert. On Day 3 (Sunday), rainfall is expected to spread over a larger part of coastal and interior districts, continuing under Yellow Warning. Day 4 (Monday) will bring increased intensity, with light to moderate rain at many places and the first Yellow Warning for heavy rain in districts such as Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam, and Jagatsinghpur. Day 5 (Tuesday) has been marked with an Orange Alert, with heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam, and rainfall expected across most of the state.

The IMD has warned of potential impacts including damage to plantations and crops, minor damage to kutcha houses, uprooted trees, broken branches, waterlogging, traffic disruptions, localized flooding, and possible landslides in vulnerable areas. Residents are advised to stay indoors, avoid travel, stay away from trees and water bodies, and unplug electrical appliances.