pnn & agencies
Bhubaneswar, Oct 20: The meteorological department has forecast heavy rains combined with strong winds Saturday for parts of the state, even as the state government Friday directed district collectors to provide relief to rain-affected people of eight districts in the state that received heavy rainfall since Thursday.
“At least 25 blocks in eight districts have received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours (since Thursday afternoon). We have directed the district collectors concerned to carry out relief measures and damage restoration works,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupad Sethi said. Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri and Rayagada are the districts affected by heavy rain.
The highest rainfall of 274 mm was recorded in Kanas block of Puri. Three other blocks also recorded more than 200 mm rainfall — Khunta and GB Nagar in Mayurbhanj (217.2 mm each) and Chilika in Puri (207 mm).
The meteorological department has forecast rainfall for Saturday, too, as the depression, which crossed the state’s coast late Thursday and moved northward, lay centred about 25 km west of Chandbali Friday.
“The system is likely to move northward for some time and then turn north-northeast. As it is expected to move close to the coast, moisture incursion would continue during next 24 hours and hence the system is very likely to maintain its intensity during next 24 hours,” the local meteorological centre said. Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of the Meteorological Centre here said it was very likely the depression would weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area thereafter.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in coastal districts and heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in districts of interior Orissa in the next 24 hours,” Sahu said.
He added that Paradip and Gopalpur ports have been advised to hoist cautionary signal number three. Strong, gusty surface winds reaching speeds from 45-65 kmph are expected hit the northern coast (from southeast) and southern coast (from southeast). “Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea as conditions are likely to be rough to very rough off the coast,” Sahu said.
