Under the influence of a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal coast, widespread rainfall lashed Odisha on Thursday, disrupting normal life in several districts while lakhs of devotees continued to participate in the annual Rath Yatra in Puri.
Puri has been witnessing continuous rainfall since Thursday. The holy town recorded 105.8 mm of rainfall in the last 36 hours. Despite the wet weather, lakhs of devotees gathered on the Grand Road (Bada Danda) and participated in the chariot-pulling ceremony, braving the rain with unwavering devotion.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhubaneswar, has issued a Yellow Warning for Puri for Friday, forecasting heavy rainfall. However, rainfall intensity is expected to reduce after the afternoon.
Several parts of Odisha received intense rainfall over the past 24 hours. During Wednesday night, Angul recorded the state’s highest rainfall of 206 mm, followed by Talcher (195 mm), Dhenkanal (116 mm), Nayagarh (110 mm), Jagatsinghpur (95 mm), Puri (89.5 mm), and Bargarh (75.8 mm). Many other places also recorded more than 50 mm of rainfall, affecting normal life.
Rainfall continued across the state on Thursday morning. Hirakud recorded 97 mm, Sambalpur 94.4 mm, Sonepur 27 mm, Titlagarh 26 mm, and Boudh 24 mm in western Odisha. In coastal districts, Jagatsinghpur recorded 30.2 mm, Khurda 27 mm, and Bhubaneswar 22 mm of rainfall.
The weather office said the active low-pressure system is likely to keep the monsoon vigorous over Odisha for the next two days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in several districts, although the overall intensity is likely to be lower than Thursday.
An Orange Warning has been issued for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Nuapada, and Balangir, where isolated places are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall.
A Yellow Warning has been issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Puri, Khurda, and Nayagarh, with the possibility of heavy rainfall at one or two places.
The IMD has advised residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert, as heavy rainfall may lead to waterlogging, localized flooding, and disruption of transport and daily activities in several parts of the state.