Odisha under orange alert as IMD forecasts very heavy rain from Aug 29

Odisha has been placed under an orange alert after the India Meteorological Department forecast very heavy rainfall for Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts starting August 29.

A fresh low-pressure system is driving the spell, with a yellow warning issued for 19 other districts across the state as isolated pockets brace for very heavy rain.

The IMD said the heaviest rainfall is expected between August 29 and September 1, with the wider active rain spell over Odisha likely to persist through September 2.

Officials have flagged a high risk of waterlogging, localised flooding and traffic disruption in the districts placed under the orange warning during the peak of the spell.

This is the latest in a series of low-pressure systems to have brought heavy rain to Odisha and neighbouring states through the current monsoon season.

Northeastern states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura are also under alert for heavy rainfall at isolated locations, with warnings for Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura extending across multiple days ahead.

Uttarakhand has been placed under a heavy rain warning with thunderstorms and lightning, and the IMD has forecast very heavy rainfall in the hill state between August 31 and September 1.

In contrast, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra have no subdivision-level severe weather warnings for the day, with Delhi expected to see a maximum temperature of around 36 degrees Celsius and a minimum near 26 degrees Celsius.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been placed under a thunderstorm and lightning warning as the wider weather system continues to move across the country.

The active rain spell over Odisha is expected to continue through September 2, with the heaviest rainfall in the state forecast between August 29 and September 1.

Authorities in the affected districts have been advised to remain on alert given the risk of waterlogging, localised flooding and disrupted travel during the peak of the rain spell.

Photo by McKay Savage, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (representative monsoon rain image)