Low pressure over Bay may bring light rain

Bhubaneswar: IMD on Monday reported the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to bring light to moderate rain across the state this week.

The system, formed under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation, is expected to move northwestwards on Tuesday, before shifting northward over the west-central Bay of Bengal in the next two days, the IMD forecast said.

Met department has also issued warnings for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds in several districts starting Wednesday. "Rain and thunderstorm activities are likely to continue in the state until Sunday," said Manorama Mohanty, scientist of the regional IMD centre here.

Despite the rain forecast, Odisha continues to experience heatwave-like conditions, with mercury levels on the rise for the third consecutive day. Angul recorded the highest of 42.7 degrees Celsius on Monday, while 11 other towns saw the mercury hover between 40°C and 41°C. Bhubaneswar recorded 36.8°C.

IMD reported a 2-3°C increase in day temperatures across several places in the past 24 hours. However, the forecast indicated that temperatures will remain stable over the next three to four days.