Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Saturday forecast very heavy rainfall for Odisha over the next three days as the low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a well-marked system.
Weather scientist Umashankar Dash of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said that the well-marked low-pressure area is likely to move towards the northern Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts over the next 24 hours.
In the last 24 hours till 8.30am Saturday, Odisha received an average rainfall of 10mm, with Soro in Balasore district recording the highest of 113mm, followed by 95.1mm at Ghasipura in Keonjhar district and 95 mm at Banpur in Khurda district.
In its mid-day bulletin for farmers, the IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers in northern Odisha, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and several other districts.
The weather office said isolated very heavy rainfall is likely during the day. Squally weather conditions will prevail along the coast, with wind speeds reaching 65kmph.
The IMD had Friday issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) for three days for the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore.
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Similarly, it issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) for Sundergarh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Angul, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts.
For Sunday, an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) was issued for the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Sundergarh, Deogarh Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur and Balangir.
It issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) for Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts Sunday.
The IMD has warned of the possibility of water-logging in low-lying areas, occasional reduction of visibility on roads, causing traffic congestion in urban areas and damage to kuccha houses and roads during intense spells of rain.
Farmers were advised to defer the process of administering fertilisers on crops and to keep livestock in safe places.
PTI