Low pressure induced heavy rainfall lashes Odisha, Red Warning issued
Pilgrim city Puri experiences 145mm rainfall in less than 4 hours
By Nalini Sahu
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 12: Low pressure induced heavy rains on Sunday lashed several parts of coastal Odisha, causing serious inundation of human habitations in urban areas and damaging standing crops in rural pockets.
According to the bulletin of regional meteorological centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ‘well-marked low pressure area over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level was tilting southwards.
The IMD forecasted heavy rainfall in several districts of Odisha and issued Red Warning in view of the low pressure over Bay of Bengal.
“The well-marked low pressure area over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level is tilting southwards. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of north Odisha-West Bengal coasts during next 12 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across north Odisha and north Chhattisgarh during subsequent 2-3 days,” the IMD bulletin said.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy (more than 20cm) falls at one or two places very likely to occur over the districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Dhenkanal and Nayagarh (Red Warning). Heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places is very likely to occur over the districts of Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, Angul, Jajpur, and Bhadrak (Orange Warning). Heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over the districts of Kalahandi, Bolangir, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Balasore (Yellow Warning),” the IMD said.
Reports from Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda and Cuttack district said acres of standing crops, including vegetables got inundated due to heavy downpour.
In the capital city Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri, rain water gushed into households in low-lying areas.
IMD sources said the low pressure triggered heavy rains at Puri (145 mm), Bhubaneswar (119.1), Titlagarh (48.9mm); Paradip and Jajpur (42mm) between 8.30 am and 12 noon on Sunday.
