Rains in Odisha in the next two days: IMD

With the formation of a fresh low pressure area likely over Northwest Bay of Bengal in 24 hours, the IMD today forecast widespread rainfall in the state during the the next two days.

The weather office in its latest bulletin said that the state today experinced rain/ thundershower at a few places over Odisha.

The IMD forcast said that heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jajpur districts tomorrow.

The condition will prevail on August 20. "Heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places over Bargarh, Malkanagiri, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nawarangpur and Nuapada districts of Odisha," H R Biswas, the director of IMD, Bhubaneswar said.

The fishermen were advised not to venture into deep sea in the northwest and westcentral Bay of Bengal area on August 19 and 20.

Meanhile, sources in revenue and disaster management department said that an average rainfall of 4.6 mm was recorded during the the last 24 hours. Deogarh district received 29.9 mm and Malkanagiri 19.7 mm rainfall.

The highest rainfall of 53 mm has been received in Kukudakhandi block of Ganjam district and 50.4 mm in Phiringia block of Kandhamal district, they said.

With this the cumulative average rainfall of the state from June 1 till August 18 was a surplus of 9.6 per cent over the long term average rainfall.

Nine districts have received surplus rainfall of more than 19 per cent whereas 19 others have received normal rainfall (+19 per cent to -19 per cent) during the period between June 1 to August 18, it said.

Average rainfall of the remaining 2 districts Deogarh and Sundargarh districts has remained deficit by -20.2 per cent and -22.8 per cent respectively, the sources said.