Rains dampen Diwali celebration in Odisha, MeT predicts more downpour

Bhubaneswar: Diwali celebrations in the state came to a nought after heavy rains lashed many parts of Odisha today, as low pressure over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression, sources from the regional meteorological department said.

Director of the regional centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar SC Sahu said,"The well marked low pressure has concentrated into a depression, which was located around 370 km south-southeast of Puri."

He further said that the mild depression is likely to intensify into a deep depression and cross the Odisha coast between Puri and Chandbali by midnight today or tomorrow morning.

Under the impact of deep depression, rains and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in coastal Odisha as well as in the interior parts of the state in the next 24 hours, the MeT office said.

This apart, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places of south Odisha and heavy rainfall at some places in the northern districts of the state.

“Strong and gusty surface winds, reaching up to 65 kmph, from the north-easterly direction would blow along the Odisha coast. Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea,” a release from the MeT office said.