The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more rain on Tuesday and Wednesday in Odisha, which has already been battered by low-pressure area-induced downpour for the last three days. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal for the next 48 hours, while water levels in Subarnarekha, Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers in northern Odisha were on the rise, the weatherman said.
The MeT Department forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers in both coastal and interior regions.
Under the influence of the low-pressure area, squally weather condition with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, is likely to prevail off the Odisha coast for the next 48 hours, it said.
For Tuesday, the IMD issued an orange warning (be prepared) of heavy to very heavy rain in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in northern Odisha, and a yellow warning (stay updated) of heavy rain in Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagastinghpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Deogarh and Jajpur districts.
Thundershowers are also likely at one or two places in Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Angul and Dhenkanal districts, the IMD said.
The MeT Department issued a yellow warning for Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Balasore on Wednesday, and forecast thunderstorms in parts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Angul, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Dhenkanal districts.
The weatherman asked the state government to be prepared to meet water-logging, landslides or localised flood-like situations in the districts for which the orange and yellow warnings were issued.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena, in a letter to the district collectors, asked them to ensure round-the-clock operation of control rooms. Meanwhile, several rivers in northern Odisha are in a spate.
Jalaka is flowing at 6.38 m against the danger level of 5.5 m at Mathani. The water level of Subarnarekha at Rajghat is rising. It has reached 6.88 m against the danger level of 10.36 m, Water Resources Department officials said. Similarly, the water level of Budhabalang reached 5.24 m at 9 AM, against the danger level of 8.13 m, they added.