IMD forecasts heavy rains in Odisha as low pressure area intensifies

With a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal intensifying into a depression, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday forecast heavy rainfall across Odisha over the next four days.

According to the IMD, the depression was centered at 8.30 am over Northwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal, situated approximately 70 km southeast of Puri (Odisha), 130 km east of Gopalpur (Odisha), 130 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), and 240 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

"It is likely to move northwestwards and cross Odisha coast near Puri as a depression in the early morning hours of Saturday (July 20). Thereafter, it would move west-northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh and weaken gradually during the subsequent 24 hours," the bulletin said.

The IMD also noted that squally weather with wind speeds reaching up to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal and along and off North Andhra Pradesh, Odisha a