Deep depression to bring heavy rain in Odisha; no possibility of cyclone: IMD

As the depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression bringing rainfall in Odisha and West Bengal the India Meteorological Department IMD on Friday rejected the possibility of any cyclone nowSocial media was flooded with posts on the possibility of a cyclone following the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centers JTWC warning on Thursday that the system has the potential to intensify into a cycloneThere is no possibility of a cyclone this time We have never said that the system will take the shape of a cyclone IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra told PTIAlso Read Over 15 lakh people affected due to floods in OdishaThe system will move along the coast as a deep depression at a wind speed of 60 to 65 kmph and it is unlikely to intensify further he saidThe system which lay about 200 km eastsoutheast of Balasore in Odisha and 100 km southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal at 1130 am will move westnorthwestwards across north Odisha West Bengal and Jharkhand towards north Chhattisgarh as a deep depressionUnder its influence squally surface wind reaching up to 5565 kmph is expected in coastal areas and 3040 kmph in interior districts of OdishaNorth Odisha will receive the maximum rainfall today while rain intensity will increase in western districts tomorrow Mohapatra saidOdishas Special Relief Commissioner SRC P K Jena told reporters that the IMD has not given any indication of a cycloneOur experts have studied both models of the IMD and the JTWC Both indicate that the system will pass through the same track We conclude that the system will remain contained within a deep depression Jena saidAlso Read Odisha Landslide on NH 53 in Sambalpur disrupts trafficHe said that the state would like to go with the IMD forecastThis apart the JTWC has nowhere said that the system will take the shape of a cyclone It mentioned that it has the potential to become a cyclonic storm Jena pointed outMeanwhile the IMD has issued a Red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls for Keonjhar Bhadrak Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts till 830 am on August 20It has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in districts such as Kendrapada Jagatsinghpur Cuttack Dhenkanal Angul Deogarh Sundargarh Sambalpur Sonepur Boudh Balangir and Jajpur during this periodAn orange warning also continues for the subsequent 24 hours with a forecast for heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places in Jharsuguda Sundargarh Keonjhar Deogarh Sambalpur Bargarh Sonepur and Bolangir districtsHeavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Mayurbhanj Angul Boudh Kalahandi Nuapada Nabarangpur and Dhenkanal districts the IMD saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever