Odisha schools closed in several districts due to rain alert by IMD

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has put the entire state on alert as incessant rain continued for the third consecutive day on Monday, even as the IMD forecast more downpour till July 7, officials said. Several district administrations declared all educational institutions closed in view of the heavy rainfall.

According to the revenue department, schools and colleges remained shut in Cuttack, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bargarh districts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an 'orange' warning (be prepared to take action) of heavy to very heavy rainfall for Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and Bolangir districts during the day. It also issued a 'yellow' warning (be alert) of heavy rainfall for Cuttack, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Nayagarh districts.

Director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty, said the rainfall activity continued across the state due to an active monsoon system triggered by a depression over the Bay of Bengal. According to the IMD, 12 places in the state received more than 200 mm of rainfall during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Monday. Sonepur recorded the highest rainfall at 328.4 mm, followed by Ullunda in Sonepur district at 290 mm.

Waterlogging due to heavy rain

The revenue department said it had received reports of waterlogging, damage to roads and bridges, and uprooting of trees from different districts due to the incessant rain. In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the depression over north interior Odisha and adjoining south Jharkhand moved northwestwards at a speed of 8 kmph during the last six hours and was centred at 5.30 am over south Jharkhand and adjoining north interior Odisha.

"It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards across Jharkhand and adjoining north Odisha and north Chhattisgarh during the next 24 hours," the weather office said. Under its influence, Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on July 6 and 7 and heavy rainfall at isolated places on July 8, it said.

The IMD also forecast squally winds with speeds reaching 60 kmph, over northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off north Odisha and West Bengal coasts till Monday evening. The wind speed is likely to gradually decrease to 55 kmph, till July 7. The IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off the Odisha and West Bengal coasts till July 7.