Impending deep depression to impact Odisha; IMD warns of heavy rain, strong winds

Bhubaneswar, Sept 20 (PTI) The Odisha government on Sunday stepped up preparedness after the IMD forecast that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal would move towards the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain and winds, officials said.

The government put collectors of 20 districts in southern and coastal Odisha on high alert and asked 10 other district collectors to remain vigilant.

According to the IMD, a deep depression is a more intense stage of a low-pressure system and can develop further into a cyclonic storm.

"The IMD has informed us that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is gradually intensifying and is likely to reach the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coast on September 23 as a deep depression. We are making preparations accordingly," Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Pravakar Patil said instructions had been issued to districts and officials to remain alert and monitor the changing weather conditions.

In its evening bulletin, the IMD said the low-pressure area lay over the eastcentral Bay of Bengal at 5.30 pm on Sunday and was likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression on Monday and a deep depression over the westcentral Bay of Bengal on September 22.

The system is likely to reach the westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal, near the North Andhra Pradesh-South Odisha coasts, around the morning of September 23, it said.

The weather office forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the state under the influence of the system and issued a red alert for several southern districts on September 23 and 24.

"Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Odisha, with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall," said Manorama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.

She said thunderstorms and moderate rain would continue till Monday, while the intensity of rainfall was likely to increase from September 22.

For September 23, a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm has been issued for Kandhamal, Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri districts.

For September 24, a similar warning has been issued for Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Rayagada.

Orange alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall have also been issued for several southern districts.

The IMD has issued red, orange and yellow alerts for different districts till September 27.

The weather system is also expected to bring strong winds over the sea.

Wind speeds of up to 60 kmph are likely over the Andaman Sea and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal on Sunday night.

Wind speeds are likely to increase up to 75 kmph over the westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on September 23 and continue till the evening of September 24.

Squally winds of 55-65 kmph are likely along and off the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts from September 23 to September 24 evening, the IMD said.

The weather office advised fishermen not to venture into the Andaman Sea till September 21, the eastcentral and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal till September 22, and the westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha-West Bengal coasts from September 22 to September 24.

Fishermen already at sea were advised to return by September 21 as sea conditions are expected to remain rough to very rough.

Meanwhile, the Met office said Odisha received light to moderate rainfall in several districts in the past 24 hours, with the highest rainfall of 82.8 mm recorded at Koraput.