Odisha gears ups for very heavy rain

Bhubaneswar, Sep 7: Odisha is bracing for another spell of torrential rain as a cyclonic circulation formed over the Bay of Bengal is set to intensify into a low pressure area soon.

Heavy rain triggered by three such weather systems had resulted in devastating floods in the state recently.

The cyclonic circulation lies over east-central and southeastern Bay of Bengal. Under its influence, a low pressure is expected to form over the west-central Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours, the Met office said on Wednesday.

Fishermen have been advised to return to the coast from the deep sea by Thursday night, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said, adding that the monsoon trough passes through Jharsuguda and Balasore.

They shouldn't venture off the south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts on Friday and Saturday as the sea can be rough with wind gusting to 45-55 kmph.

The Met Department issued a yellow warning of heavy rain in some places across Malkangiri, Koraput, Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Khurda and Puri districts.

It forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall of 70-200 mm in many districts of Odisha over the subsequent three days.