Bhubaneswar: Heavy rains are likely in the state over next few days as a low pressure area will form over the northwest Bay of Bengal off the West Bengal coast August 2 and intensify into a depression the next day.
The system was expected to intensify into a deep depression August 4 over the northwest Bay of Bengal and merge with another depression, now lying over South China Sea, which was likely to move towards the Bay of Bengal, Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) said.
The depression over South China Sea would initially move in a north- northwestwardly direction and then southwestwards towards northeast Bay of Bengal, he said.
This system was likely to merge with the deep depression formed over northwest Bay of Bengal August 5 and move in a northwestwardly direction and cross the Odisha-West Bengal border near Digha on the night of August 5 or early morning of August 6.
Sahu said under its influence, rainfall would increase gradually from August 2 in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack and Dhenkanal districts.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall might be experienced from August 3 in the state’s coastal belt as also in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal, he said.
The rains might continue till August 6 night, he said adding that under the influence of the system wind, speed reaching 60 km per hour, might be experienced in coastal and adjoining districts.
Sahu further said the catchments of upper and lower Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha rivers could receive heavy precipitation between August 3 and 6.
(UNI)
