Finance
The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has issued a detailed weather alert, anticipating a period of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across Odisha during the next week.
The report, issued at 1:00 PM IST on Tuesday, describes the formation of a large weather storm over the Bay of Bengal.
As of 8:30 a.m. today, a low-pressure system over the southwest Bay of Bengal had strengthened into a “well-marked low pressure area” according to the IMD. The system, which has a cyclonic circulation reaching up to 7.6 km above sea level, is expected to move west-northwestward.
By Wednesday afternoon (October 22), the weather system is forecast to have formed a depression across the southwest and surrounding west-central Bay of Bengal. It is expected to continue heading towards the beaches of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh, increasing during the next 24 hours.
The impact of this system is already being felt across the state. Several districts in South Odisha have received mild to moderate rainfall in the previous 24 hours, including Tikarpara (Angul) with 6 cm and Tangi (Khurda), Gania (Nayagarh), and Banki (Cuttack) with 5 cm.
In response, the IMD has issued a Yellow Warning (Be Aware) for certain districts, beginning today.
Day 1 (Today until 8:30 AM, Oct 22): Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are very likely at one or two places over districts including Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Cuttack. Shallow to moderate fog is also forecast for early morning in Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Sundargarh.
Day 2 & 3 (Oct 22-24): The yellow warning for thunderstorms with gusty winds will persist and expand to include more coastal and southern districts such as Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur.
Day 4 & 5 (Oct 24-26): The forecast predicts light to moderate rain at many places across the state. The yellow warning remains in effect for a large swathe of Odisha, including western and northern districts like Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, and Mayurbhanj.
From Day 6 onwards, while widespread rain is still expected, the weather warnings are currently nil, indicating a potential decrease in the intensity of thunderstorm activity.
The special Farmers’ Weather Bulletin reinforces the yellow warning, recommending agricultural communities to take the appropriate preparations. Fishermen on the Odisha coast can breathe a sigh of relief, as no warnings have been issued for the next five days.
The IMD has recommended the public to be informed by using its official “Mausam,” “Meghdoot,” and “Damini” mobile applications for location-specific forecasts, agro-meteorological advisories, and lightning alerts.
Residents throughout the state, particularly in the warning districts, are encouraged to stay indoors during thunderstorms and avoid seeking shelter under trees or in isolated structures.
