The government of Odisha has raised alerts for 20 districts and advised 10 others to stay vigilant as a low-pressure system is anticipated to develop over the Bay of Bengal, potentially escalating into a depression, according to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday. The state is prepared to handle the situation, while meteorologists continue to monitor the evolving system.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicated that an upper-air cyclonic circulation originating over northern Thailand is expected to move into the north Andaman Sea by Friday evening, leading to the formation of a low-pressure area by Saturday evening. Manorama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, stated, “It is expected to gradually intensify and shift towards the south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts in the next 3-4 days.”
Mohanty emphasized that IMD scientists are closely watching the system and will provide updates as it progresses. While the likelihood of the system developing into a depression is high, there is no definitive forecast regarding its potential transformation into a cyclonic storm. She added, “There is no need to panic about this weather system. IMD will notify the public at the right time if further intensification occurs. However, significant rainfall is set to commence across south Odisha starting September 22.”
Pujari mentioned that some meteorological models suggest the possibility of a cyclone. A yellow alert has been issued for heavy rainfall in 20 districts, with expected precipitation ranging from 7 cm to 11 cm, and he noted that this warning may be updated after the low-pressure area is confirmed on Saturday evening. A meeting with senior officials, including Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil, was convened to relay instructions to district collectors.
In addition, the IMD has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds in 15 districts over the next 24 hours. The districts affected include Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj. A yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued for isolated areas in Mayurbhanj, with forecasts of heavy rain in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj on September 19 and 20. Thunderstorms with winds of 30-40 km/h are also expected in several regions, prompting a yellow alert for thunderstorms from September 20 to 22.
For September 22 and 23, an orange warning is in effect for Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangapur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, and Ganjam due to thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds. The IMD has projected heavy to very heavy rainfall across multiple districts until September 25 as the state remains on high alert while awaiting further updates on this weather system.
