Bhubaneswar: Several district administrations in Odisha have ordered the closure of educational institutions in view of heavy rainfall Monday. According to the Revenue Department, schools and colleges remained closed in Kataka, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Baragarh districts.
The Odisha government has put the entire state on alert as incessant rain continued for the third consecutive day Monday, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast more downpours through July 7, officials said.
The IMD issued an orange warning (be prepared to take action) for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Baragarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Subarnapur, Baudh, Nuapada and Balangir districts during the day.
It also issued a yellow warning (be alert) for heavy rainfall in Kataka, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Nayagarh districts.
Director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty, said rainfall activity continued across the state due to an active monsoon system triggered by a depression over the Bay of Bengal.
According to the IMD, 12 places in the state received more than 200 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Subarnapur recorded the highest rainfall at 328.4 mm, followed by Ullunda in Subarnapur district at 290 mm.
The Revenue Department said it had received reports of waterlogging, damage to roads and bridges, and uprooted trees from different districts due to the incessant rain.
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In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the depression over north interior Odisha and adjoining south Jharkhand moved northwestward at a speed of 8 kph during the previous six hours and was centered at 5:30 a.m. over south Jharkhand and adjoining north interior Odisha.
“It is very likely to move nearly northwestward across Jharkhand and adjoining north Odisha and north Chhattisgarh during the next 24 hours,” the weather office said.
Under its influence, Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places July 6 and 7 and heavy rainfall at isolated places July 8, it said.
The IMD also forecast squally winds reaching speeds of up to 60 kph over the northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts through Monday evening. Wind speeds are expected to gradually decrease to 55 kph through July 7.
The IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off the Odisha and West Bengal coasts through July 7.
