Odisha is likely to see a short spell of rain in parts of the state next week as a low-pressure area may form over the Bay of Bengal around October 13, while the main five days of Durga Puja are expected to remain dry, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The regional IMD centre said rainfall activity could increase slightly in parts of Odisha on October 14 and 15 under the influence of the possible system. Manorama Mohanty, head of the regional IMD centre, said there was no indication so far that the system would intensify further.
The system is expected to develop under the influence of a cyclonic circulation currently located in the Gulf of Thailand. The circulation is likely to move into the Andaman Sea on October 11 before contributing to the formation of the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, the weather department said.
Sarat Chandra Sahu, former director of the regional IMD centre, said the system could bring rain mainly to coastal pockets for two to three days from the evening of October 13. He added that the state was likely to experience dry weather during the major Durga Puja days.
The forecast comes as the monsoon begins withdrawing from parts of Odisha. In a release, the IMD said the monsoon had withdrawn from most parts of Bargarh and some parts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Nuapada and Nabarangpur districts on Thursday.
The department said conditions would remain favourable for the monsoon to withdraw from more parts of eastern India, the northern peninsula and several areas of northeast India over the next three to four days.
Despite the withdrawal, rainfall has continued in some parts of the state. During the 24 hours preceding the IMD’s morning rainfall report, Jamda in Mayurbhanj recorded the highest rainfall at 52 mm. Shamakhunta, also in Mayurbhanj, received 36.3 mm.
Odisha recorded 29% excess rainfall compared with normal during the monsoon period from June to September, according to the report. The latest forecast indicates that rainfall conditions could briefly increase in coastal areas after the likely formation of the low-pressure system, even as the broader seasonal withdrawal continues.
The IMD’s next updates will establish whether the system forms as expected, the areas that receive rain and whether any further intensification takes place.
