Bhubaneswar: After experiencing relatively dry days this week, Odisha is expected to witness a fresh spell of heavy rainfall starting August 30, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources Friday. The alert comes amid the forecast of a new low-pressure system likely to form over the North Bay of Bengal around September 3. “Thereafter, the system is likely to move west-northwestwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal, the coastal areas of West Bengal and North Odisha, and intensify into a depression around September 5.
Accordingly, the monsoon trough is likely to remain south of its normal position during the entire week of August 29 to September 4,” the national forecaster said in its extended weather outlook.
Another low-pressure area may also form at the end of the week from September 5 to 11, it added. According to the weather agency, thunderstorms and lightning, accompanied along with gusty surface wind speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph may occur at one or two places in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts August 30. Heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph is likely at one or two places in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Koraput and Rayagada August 31.
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Similar warning has been sounded for districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh September 1 and September 3, and Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Koraput and Malkangiri September 2. Thunderstorm and lightning accompanied along with gusty surface wind speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph may also occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Rayagada on these four days. While there is no warning thereafter, light to moderate rain may continue at many places across the state during the subsequent 4 to 5 days, it added.
Earlier this week, rains triggered by a well-marked low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal threw life out of gear in Koraput and Malkangiri districts. Road communication between Koraput and Rayagada, as well as Koraput and Malkangiri, resumed Thursday after the downpour since Tuesday morning submerged stretches of National Highway 326 near Koraput Chhak, cutting off road communications between the districts.
While Bhubaneswar has seen scattered rain over the past few days, the upcoming week could bring intense showers, particularly between September 1 and 3. Commuters are advised to plan accordingly, with possible waterlogging in low-lying areas and traffic disruptions expected during peak hours.
