- Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri begins amidst heavy rain.
- IMD forecasts intense rainfall due to Bay of Bengal low pressure.
- Pilgrims advised caution; many Odisha districts on alert.
Odisha Weather Update: The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra began in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, with thousands of devotees participating in the religious pilgrimage. In its latest advisory, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that Puri is expected to witness heavy rain throughout the day. It asserted that a strengthening low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal will lead to heavy rainfall in the eastern states.
Heavy Rain Alert For Puri
As per the weather department, the system is likely to move towards North Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal over the next two days. The phenomenon is likely to cause heavy rainfall in multiple regions of West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, including Puri. The rainfall is also expected to affect the yatra; however, the administration assured that the necessary arrangements have been made.
In its advisory, the weather department stated that several districts of Odisha are expected to witness extremely heavy rain in the coming days. Along with heavy rain, these regions are also expected to receive thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lightning. The pilgrims have been advised to follow the guidelines and to limit their outings during the rain to avoid any inconveniences.
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Rain Likely In These Districts
The rain activities will continue in several districts, including Mayurbhanj, Kenjhar, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Khurda Road, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Anugul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Ganjam, and Kandhamal, which are set to witness heavy rain. Apart from this, other regions such as Balasore, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Balangir, Nuapara, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Gajapati will also witness similar weather conditions.
The weather department has issued a heavy rain alert for Gangetic West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from this, other regions, including Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Jharkhand, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Uttarakhand, are also set to witness heavy rain.
The IMD has advised the farmers to stay updated and limit their financial activities during the rainfall.
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