Fresh spell of rain likely in Odisha over next 3 days

A fresh spell of rain is likely to lash Odisha over the next three days due to formation of a low pressure area on Bay of Bengal, the meteorological centre here said.

Last week, too, the state had been pounded by a downpour, affecting at least nine districts in the southern and the western regions, it said.

According to the meteorological centre, the low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts may trigger light to moderate rain or thundershower in most parts of the state.

Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the next 24 hours in north coastal Odisha and other areas in the western and the northern parts of the state, including Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Keonjhar, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Raygada, Nayagarh and Puri districts.

Similarly, extremely heavy rainfall is likely to batter parts of Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi.

The MeT centre has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday in parts of south interior Odisha and districts such as Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Bargarh.

Heavy rainfall is also likely to occur at isolated places over Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khordha, Puri, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Angul and Dhenkanal during this period.

Squally weather with wind speed exceeding 45 kmph is likely to prevail, with sea condition being rough to very rough along and off the Odisha coast, the MeT centre predicted.

Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea in the next 48 hrs.

Meanwhile, officials said a warning has been issued to people living in the vicinity of Hirakud dam as water level in the barrage has crossed 615 feet against the full reservoir capacity of 630 feet.

The water level in the dam stood at 615.65 ft at noon on Monday with 80,752 cusec inflow and 18,784 cusec outflow, K Nayak, the chief engineer of the Hirakud dam, said.

In view of the situation, flood water would be released from the dam on August 14 through sluice gates, Nayak added.