With Mumbai virtually reeling under waist-deep water, and when IMD predicts an intense spell of rainfall in the coming 3-4 hours, Odisha will be going to have its Mumbai moment on Friday (July 23).
In just a span of the next 36-hours, a low-pressure area will develop over the northwest Bay of Bengal, and in subsequent 12 hours, the system moving in the west-northwest direction will cross Odisha coasts on July 23. Weather models show the system inducing very heavy rainfall, including thunderstorms, across the State on Friday.
On July 23, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, western MP, Haryana and Delhi are predicted to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall.
As per ECMWF, many places in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbahnj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Deogarh etc will be witnessing very heavy rain at around early morning hours of 5:30 - 6 am. Whereas, other districts like Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Khordha, Nayagarh, Boudh, Balangir, Sonepur, Bargarh, Nuapada etc would be witnessing heavy rain around the same hours on Friday.
Due to the evolving system, lightning activities are widely predicted at many places till July 23. Sample the places where lightning is set to strike.
- At around 8 am on July 22, Bhadrak and its nearby places are likely to witness lightning flashes.
- On the same day, Cuttack, Puri, Jagaatsinghpur and adjoining places will record lightning activities at around 11-11:30 hours (morning). Cuttack may also see lightning at past midnight during the hours of 1-3 am.
- Bhubaneswar is predicted to receive thundershower at around noon hours on July 22 (12-1 pm). And also at around the evening hours (4-5 pm).
- Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh and Angul border areas are predicted to record severe lightning at around 2-2:30 pm.
- On July 22, at around 9-10 pm, many places in the districts of Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj are predicted to witness lightning spells.
- At around the same hours, there is a prediction that lightning flashes may strike many places in the districts of Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal and Keonjhar.
- Many places in the Ganjam district, including the towns of Aska and Berhampur, are predicted to record lightning flashes in the early morning (around 5 am) hours on July 23.
- The districts from Khordha, Cuttack to Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj will be recording heavy rain during the early morning hours on July 23.
- Few places in the Mayurbhanj district are predicted to record very heavy rainfall.
- Severe lightning warning for some places in Khordha district on July 23 at around noon. Places in the Ganjam district may record severe lightning.
- Puri district may record lightning flashes at around evening hours on July 23.
Big Alert: Another low-pressure area will develop over the northeast Bay of Bengal on July 27-28, says IMD, GSF and ECMWF. The system will become well marked in subsequent 12 hours, and models show may grow to a depression. But the system will move towards West Bengal and will cross the State on July 29.