The depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression and is expected to make landfall near Puri, Odisha, by noon, according to the latest bulletin from the IMD. The weather office reported that the system has been moving slowly north-northwest at a speed of 8 kmph over the past six hours, resulting in its intensification into a Deep Depression.
The system is currently centered approximately 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 has issued a 'Red alert' for five districts in Odisha: Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, and Dhenkanal. The alert warns of scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) and isolated extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm in these areas. Fishermen are advised to avoid venturing into the sea until September 11.