More rain in store for Odisha as low-pressure over Bay of Bengal to intensify: IMD
The India Meteorological Department has issued heavy rainfall warnings for Odisha as a low-pressure system intensifies over the Bay of Bengal. The weather is expected to impact the ongoing Rath Yatra festival in Puri, prompting officials to advise pilgrims to seek safe shelter.
Why it matters
Severe weather events during mass religious gatherings pose significant safety risks and require coordinated emergency management.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday (July 16, 2026), forecast more rain in several parts of Odisha , including in Puri town where lakhs of devotees are celebrating the annual Rath Yatra, under the influence of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.
The weather system is very likely to intensify into a well-marked low-pressure area and move northwestward across north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal during the next 12 hours, the IMD said in a bulletin.
Under its impact, heavy rainfall is expected to occur in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurdha, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, and Boudh districts on Thursday (July 16, 2026).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in