An evolving weather system over the Gulf of Thailand is expected to reach the Andaman Sea, with the India Meteorological Department warning of thunderstorms and rain in parts of 13 Odisha districts over the next 24 hours. A low-pressure area may form over the southeast Bay of Bengal around October 13, but the department has not yet established how strong the system will become or which direction it will take.
The weather system was reported to be active over the Malacca Strait and adjoining areas on Saturday, extending up to 9.4 kilometres above sea level. According to the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre bulletin cited by The Samaja, it is expected to move into the Andaman Sea region the following day.
The districts placed under the weather warning are Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh. Some areas in these districts may receive rain accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms during the next 24 hours.
The possible low-pressure formation is expected to influence weather conditions in Odisha’s coastal districts between October 13 and 15. Weather specialist Sarat Sahu said the coastal belt could receive light to moderate rain during this period. Rainfall may reduce by October 16, when conditions could become dry, according to the report.
The present assessment does not indicate the likelihood of widespread heavy rain from the possible low-pressure area. The weather department has also not confirmed that the system will intensify into a cyclone. Its strength, movement and future development will become clearer only after the low-pressure area forms, the report said.
The uncertainty is significant for coastal Odisha, where even short-duration warnings require coordination between district administrations, transport agencies, power utilities and residents. The current alert is focused on thunderstorms and rain rather than a confirmed cyclone warning. Any change in the system’s intensity or track would require the forecast to be reassessed.
Sahu also cautioned against relying at this stage on cyclone projections from overseas weather models. He said different models were not showing sufficient agreement and that there was currently no clear indication of cyclone formation. Weather officials are continuing to monitor the changing conditions.
For now, the immediate operational concern is the possibility of lightning, thunderstorms and localised rain across the listed districts. The next important forecast milestone will be the expected formation of a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal around October 13, after which the weather department is expected to provide a clearer assessment of the system’s development and movement.
