Heavy rains batter Odisha amid depression

Villages, agriculture fields, and low-lying areas were flooded as rivers were in spate in several districts of Odisha on Tuesday after torrential rain pummeled the state, especially the southern region.

A well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal concentrated into a depression and lay over coastal Odisha and about 85 km northwest of Bhubaneswar at 11.30 am, the Meteorological Centre said.

The system is set to gradually move northwestwards, maintain its intensity and then weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area over Chhattisgarh by Wednesday, according to a bulletin.

At least eight weather stations recorded very heavy showers of 116-204 mm, while 44 places were battered by a heavy downpours of 65-115 mm over a 24-period till 8.30 am, the weather office said.

Kosagumuda in Nabarangpur recorded very heavy rain of 161 mm, followed by 160.2 mm in Bhapur in Nayagarh. Ganjam district was pounded by heavy downpours, with district headquarters Chhatrapur receiving 142 mm of precipitation.

Heavy rain occurred in Gajapati, Rayagada, Cutttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Koraput districts. Bhubaneswar recorded 76 mm of rain, while it was 31 mm in Cuttack city.

Six people were seriously wounded after a house collapsed following heavy rain in Nabarangpur. They are undergoing treatment in a hospital. A bridge was washed away in Nuapada, while many areas in Malkangiri district were inundated following incessant rain.

A red warning of extremely heavy rain of over 204 mm has been issued for a few places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, and Keonjhar districts till Wednesday morning, the Met said.

It put out an orange warning of very heavy rain in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bargarh districts on Wednesday.

The Met also predicted heavy showers across many districts over the next four days, adding that the monsoon trough was passing through the center of the depression over coastal Odisha.

Fisherfolks have been advised not to venture off the coast till Thursday as sea conditions will be rough and squally weather with a wind speed of 45-65 kmph is possible over the northwestern Bay of Bengal.

The ports of Paradeep, Dhamra, and Gopalpur have been alerted of the weather conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)