Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure area over west-central and adjoining north-west Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast has become well marked and is set to turn into a depression by Sunday morning, the IMD said Saturday.
It will turn into a depression over the north-west and adjoining the west-central Bay of Bengal off south Odisha – north Andhra Pradesh coasts, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its bulletin on Saturday afternoon.
Under its influence forecast heavy rain is likely till September 14 in Odisha and in West Bengal during the next three days, the weatherman said.
The associated cyclonic circulation extends up to mid-tropospheric levels, the IMD said in a special bulletin.
It forecast squally weather conditions with wind speed exceeding 45 kmph along and off the West Bengal-Odisha coasts over the next 36 hours and advised fishermen not to venture into deep seas from Saturday till Monday.
IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said, “Odisha will be lashed by heavy rainfall on Saturday night and Sunday. In some places, the amount of rainfall could be more than 20 CM. The depression will cross the land in Odisha-Andhra border.”
The IMD forecast widespread rainfall with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms across Gangetic West Bengal from Saturday till Tuesday and in sub-Himalayan Bengal till Wednesday.
The weatherman said heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur in one or two places over Kolkata and other neighbouring districts of south Bengal. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder is very likely to occur at most places in the south Bengal districts.
In sub-Himalayan West Bengal light to moderate rains is forecast from September 10 to September14 in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda districts.
T he average rainfall recorded across south Bengal in the past 24 hours was 5.3 mm, the met office said. The figure for north Bengal was not immediately known.
In Odisha the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar informed that almost all places of Odisha received rainfall between 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on Saturday.
The highest rainfall of 44 mm has been recorded at Dhenkanal followed by Jajpur 28 mm, Cuttack 25.4 mm, Baripada 25 mm and Parlakhemundi and Bhadrak 22 mm each.
Reports received from Koraput and Gajapati districts said that heavy rainfall has affected normal life and some roads have been inundated.
In its five-day forecast, the IMD said light to moderate rain and thundershower is very likely to occur at most places of Odisha on Saturday night and Sunday.
The weather office issued orange warning (rainfall up to 20 cm) in 10 districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Bolangir , Koraput, Boudh and Nayagarh.
A yellow warning of heavy rainfall was issued for 20 other districts, the weather office said.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner has issued a letter to all the district collectors to remain prepared and take measures according to the IMD forecast.
PTI