Odisha Govt on High Alert After Heavy Rain Forecast

Bhubaneswar: A red alert has been issued for Kalahandi and Kandhamal, districts of Odisha that are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall due to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal on September 10 and 11.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall in 22 districts of the state, with special focus on Kalahandi and Kandhamal, which are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall.

The IMD said a low-pressure area had formed over the region at 5.30 am on Thursday under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the northern Bay of Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh.

While coastal and adjoining districts of Odisha could experience intense spells of rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, localised flooding is also possible in several areas. Under the influence of the system, Chhattisgarh is also likely to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall on September 10 and 11. Areas bordering Odisha could be particularly vulnerable to heavy rain and waterlogging.

The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is also expected to influence southern West Bengal, where heavy rain and thunderstorms are possible in several districts, particularly coastal and southern areas.

The weather system is not confined to the Bay of Bengal region alone. Several other atmospheric systems are simultaneously active over northern and central India. As a result, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of the Northeast are also likely to receive rain.

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued an orange warning — indicating that people should be prepared to take action — for Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam districts of Odisha.

Heavy rainfall is also expected in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Malkangiri, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts during the day. A yellow warning, advising people to remain alert, has been issued for these 15 districts for Thursday.

In view of the weather warning, the Mayurbhanj Collector ordered the closure of all government and government-aided schools on Thursday as a precautionary measure, an official said.

Private schools have also been asked to suspend classes after 10 am, officials said.

Forecasting similar weather conditions over the next two days, the IMD has issued a heavy rainfall warning for 10 districts on Friday and four districts on Saturday.

As sea conditions are expected to remain very rough, the weather office has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along the West Bengal-Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast until September 11. Local Cautionary Signal No. III (LC-III) has been hoisted at all ports in Odisha.