Monsoon sets in over Odisha, to cover entire state in 2 days

Bhubaneswar, June 10: The southwest monsoon on Thursday set in over Odisha and is likely to advance into the remaining parts of the state in the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The weatherman said monsoon has covered Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Gajapati, Ganjam and parts of Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khordha and Puri districts. "Southwest monsoon further advanced into Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and south Odisha," the IMD tweeted.

The Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said conditions were favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of Odisha during the next 48 hours.

The Met centre has issued a red-alert warning for Friday for some districts. Heavy to extremely heavy rain will very likely occur at a few places in Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nayagarh, Sonepur, Khordha, Puri and Jagatsinghpur, the department said.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall will very likely occur at some places in Ganjam, Cuttack, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Kendrapara, it added. The met centre warned of localised flash flood in some places and possible landslides in hthe illy areas.

Paradip in Jagatsinghpur and Bolangir received 65.5 mm and 72 mm of heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday, according to the weather department. Sambalpur received 62.6 mm rain, while there was 42 mm of rainfall in Nayagarh, it said.

Meanwhile, the state government has put all the districts on the alert to face the eventualities like flash flood and inundation of low lying areas due to the extremely heavy rainfall on account of low pressure area and subsequent advancement of the monsoon.

The district authorities are told to remain prepared to evacuate people from the low lying area, an official at the Special Relief Commissioners office said.