6 Odisha coastal districts to experience heavy rainfall: IMD

Heavy rainfall likely to occur at one or two places in the districts of Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours, IMD said.

Bhubaneswar, November 17: India Meteorological Department (IMD) office said at least six coastal districts of Odisha are likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours even as the depression over the Bay of Bengal has gradually weakened into a well marked low-pressure on Friday.

Heavy rainfall likely to occur at one or two places in the districts of Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours, IMD said.

It said the sea condition would be moderate to rough along and off Odisha coast and IMD cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea.

The state has been experiencing rainfall since November 13, due to a low pressure formation, which later intensified into a depression over the Bay of Bengal. Sources in the special relief commissioner's (SRC) office said the state received an average rainfall of 7.6 mm today.

The highest rainfall of 40.7 mm was recorded in Kendrapara followed by 30.4 mm in Jagatsinghpur, 24.0 mm in Puri, 16.3 mm in Jajpur and 16.0 mm in Bhadrak. However, only three of the 30 districts of Odisha did not receive any rainfall during last 24 hours.

They were - Jharsuguda, Malkangiri and Nuapada. Meanwhile, farmers across the state are worried as their paddy fields have been submerged in many coastal districts.

Revenue and Disaster Management minister Maheswar Mohanty said the district collectors have been asked to report on the crop loss due to unseasonal rainfall.

PTI