Deep depression likely to cross Odisha coast near Puri on Monday: IMD

Bhubaneswar: The depression formed over the Bay of Bengal on Monday intensified into a deep depression and is likely to cross the Odisha coast near Puri by noon, the IMD said in a bulletin.

The weather office said that the depression over the Bay of Bengal moved slowly north-northwestwards with a speed of 8 kmph during the past six hours and intensified into a Deep Depression.

The system lay centered at about 70 km south-southeast of Puri (Odisha), 140 km east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), 120 km south-southwest of Paradip (Odisha), 170 km south-southwest of Chandbali (Odisha), 240 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 290 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal).

"It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards and cross Odisha coast near Puri by noon on September 9," the IMD said, adding that thereafter, it is very likely to move west-northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh during the subsequent two days.

The weather office also issued a 'Red alert' in five districts - Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack and Dhenkanal - of Odisha.

Scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (less than 20 cm) is very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack and Dhenkanal, it said.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till September 11, it added.