Odisha braces for heavy rainfall as low-pressure area moves north

Bhubaneswar, Sept 6: A low-pressure system currently situated over the central and adjacent north Bay of Bengal, originating from the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to evolve into a depression by September 9.

The associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above sea level and is tilting southwestward with height. This system is projected to move slowly northward and intensify over the northwest Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas including Gangetic West Bengal, north Odisha, and the Bangladesh coast.

Following its initial intensification, the system is anticipated to shift west-northwestward over the next 3-4 days, impacting Gangetic West Bengal, north Odisha, Jharkhand, and northern Chhattisgarh, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Odisha is expected to experience heavy rainfall over the next three days starting Friday, with coastal regions likely to see substantial rain on Ganesh Puja day, Saturday. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain across 18 districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, and Bolangir.