Finance
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red Warning for extremely heavy rainfall in three Odisha districts on Monday, as a Deep Depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-North Odisha coasts continued to move slowly northward and is expected to cross the West Bengal-North Odisha coast between Balasore and Canning by Monday afternoon.
According to the IMD’s lunchtime weather advisory, the Deep Depression was centered at 8:30 a.m. over the northwest Bay of Bengal, around latitude 21.4°N and longitude 88.1°E. It is approximately 120 kilometres east-southeast of Balasore, 30 kilometres south of Sagar Island, 70 kilometres east-southeast of Digha, 90 kilometres south of Diamond Harbour, and 110 kilometres south-west of Canning. The system is expected to move nearly north-northwestwards before making landfall between Balasore and Canning later in the day.
For the next 24 hours, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at most places across Odisha. A Red Warning has been issued for Sundaragada, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is very likely.
An Orange Warning has been sounded for Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nabarangpur districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 50-60 kmph are also expected at isolated places over Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj.
A Yellow Warning has been issued for Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh districts for heavy rainfall. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are also likely at isolated places over Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh.
The weather office has forecast that heavy rainfall activity will gradually ease after Tuesday, though isolated heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue over parts of the state during the next seven days. Yellow warnings for thunderstorms remain in force over several districts through the week, while heavy rainfall warnings continue for Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj during August 1-2 and for Sundargarh, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj on August 2-3.
The IMD has warned that the anticipated heavy rains might cause waterlogging in low-lying areas, localized floods, traffic disruption, moderate damage to fragile structures and standing crops, and landslides in vulnerable locations. People have been warned to avoid soggy areas, remain indoors during thunderstorms, and heed official weather warnings.
Meanwhile, squally weather with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph and gusts up to 60 kmph is anticipated to continue along and off the Odisha coast until July 29. The sea is expected to be rough to extremely rough, and fishermen are urged not to venture into the sea along or off the Odisha coast till July 29.
