Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a state-wide alert, instructing all district collectors to be fully prepared for any eventuality. This measure comes in response to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to strengthen into a well-marked system and potentially form a depression in the next 24 hours.
In a directive to district collectors, the Special Relief Commissioner emphasized the need for comprehensive preparations to manage any disaster, as forecasted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The state is particularly vigilant due to the historical pattern of October being a ‘cyclone month’ for Odisha, with a tendency for back-to-back low-pressure systems forming over the Bay of Bengal. Many severe cyclones in the past four decades have made landfall on the Odisha coast during this month, often after the southwest monsoon’s withdrawal.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stated that while the IMD has not yet confirmed a cyclone, it has predicted heavy rainfall across the state due to the developing low-pressure systems. He added that while official forecasts indicate rainfall, some international weather models suggest a more serious situation, including the possibility of a cyclone. “The IMD’s forecasts are usually accurate, but we are preparing for all eventualities,” Pujari reassured.
According to the IMD’s latest bulletin, the low-pressure area in the southwest Bay of Bengal has evolved into a well-marked low-pressure area. It is anticipated to move west-northwestwards and likely intensify into a depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, near the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh, by Wednesday afternoon. The forecast further indicates that it may continue its west-northwestward movement towards these coasts and intensify further over the following 24 hours.
The IMD has forecast that the southern districts of Odisha are likely to experience the heaviest rainfall. In anticipation, a ‘yellow’ warning has been issued for several districts for Tuesday and Wednesday, predicting thunderstorms accompanied by gusty surface winds of 30-40 kmph in specific areas. For Wednesday, similar conditions with thundershowers and gusty winds are expected in multiple districts across the state.