Amid the ongoing Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) centre in Bhubaneswar has issued orange and yellow alerts predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds across various parts of Odisha over the next seven days. The weather department advised to remain alert and warned the fishermen's community not to venture into the sea until July 1, 2025.
The director of IMD Bhubaneswar, Dr Manorama Mohanty, said that the weather pattern in the region is due to a cyclonic circulation over southwest Bangladesh, which affected several districts until July 4, 2025. The upper air cyclonic circulation over southwest Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal persists over the same region.
Due to its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal Bangladesh and West Bengal during the subsequent 48 hours, as per IMD. The system is likely to move slowly west-northwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal, north Odisha, and Jharkhand.
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Under orange alert, IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning, and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kmph are likely in Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Nayagarh, Kandahamal, Kalahandi, and Keonjha districts.
The weather department issued yellow alerts for Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Cuttack, Boudh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Angul, Balangir, and Jharsuguda.
The weather pattern will impact the ongoing Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri. On Saturday, June 28, all three chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra reached the Gundicha Temple, the main ritual of the annual procession.
Despite intermittent rain during the chariot pulling, which has covered about 2.6 kilometres between the Jagannath Temple and the Gundicha Temple. According to the administration, over 10 lakh people attended the two-day Rath Yatra celebrations. Around 625 people reportedly fell ill near Devi Subhadra’s chariot by late evening. The crowd has decreased from 20% due to several people falling ill in the past 24 hours. According to the administration, over 70 were admitted to various hospitals, and nine of them are in critical condition.
“We have issued an orange warning for extremely heavy rainfall in parts of northern and interior Odisha. People are advised to remain alert. Fishermen should strictly avoid venturing into the sea till July 1 due to adverse sea conditions,” said Dr. Manorama Mohanty, Director, IMD Bhubaneswar.