Bhubaneswar: India Meteorological Department Wednesday said a fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal could trigger heavy rainfall across Odisha till August 17.
The weather system is likely to be more marked and move northwestwards during the next 48 hours, the IMD said in a morning bulletin.
“Under the influence of yesterday’s upper air cyclonic circulation over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, a low-pressure area has formed over the North Bay of Bengal off West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts at 5.30 am,” it said.
The Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar said in another bulletin that the state will experience rainfall activity over the next five to six days.
“We have issued an ‘orange alert’ (be prepared to take action) of heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in Angul and Keonjhar districts, and a ‘yellow alert’ (be aware) of heavy rainfall in the remaining districts of Odisha,” said Manorama Mohanty, the director of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.
The IMD said squally weather with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph and occasionally gusting to 60 kmph is very likely to prevail along and off the Odisha coast till August 15.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea till August 15, the bulletin stated.
It also warned of flooding of roads, waterlogging in low-lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in the urban areas, occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy rainfall and disruption of traffic in major cities.
The possibility of heavy rainfall till August 17 could also lead to riverine flooding in some catchments, it added.
PTI