Odisha on high alert as Bay of Bengal deep depression set to bring heavy rain, winds

The Odisha government on Sunday stepped up preparations after the India Meteorological Department forecast that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal would move towards the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Officials said collectors of 20 districts in southern and coastal Odisha had been put on high alert, while 10 other district collectors were asked 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 weather office has forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Odisha under the influence of the system and issued a red alert for several southern districts on September 23 and 24.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said, "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." 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. It said the system was likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression on Monday and then into a deep depression over the westcentral Bay of Bengal on September 22. It 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.

Manorama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said, "Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Odisha, with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall." 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, and 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. The IMD said squally winds of 55-65 kmph were likely along and off the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts from September 23 to the evening of September 24.

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, Odisha received light to moderate rainfall in several districts in the past 24 hours, with Koraput recording the highest rainfall at 82.8 mm.

Overall, the state has intensified its preparedness as the Bay of Bengal system is expected to strengthen and approach the Odisha-Andhra coast, with forecasts of very heavy rain, strong winds and rough sea conditions over the coming days.