Bhubaneswar: Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha Shri Rajesh Prabhakar Patil has put all district collectors on high alert following the persistence of a well-marked low-pressure area over the Northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining north Odisha and West Bengal coasts. The India Meteorological Department reports that the system features an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 9.4 kilometers above mean sea level and is expected to move west-northwestward across north Odisha and north Chhattisgarh over the next three days, bringing intense monsoon rainfall to the region.
The Special Relief Commissioner has directed all district collectors to keep the administrative machinery fully prepared to handle any eventualities. A red warning has been issued for the first day, predicting isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls in the districts of Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, and Kandhamal. On the second day, the extreme rainfall threat shifts toward Sambalpur, Bargarh, and Nuapada. Orange and yellow warnings for heavy downpours have also been extended to numerous other districts, including Cuttack, Puri, Khurdha, Ganjam, and Balasore, spanning the next several days.
Authorities have warned of significant localized impacts, including waterlogging in low-lying areas, flooding of urban roads, and the closure of underpasses. Residents are advised to keep a close watch on the weather and take safe shelter during thunderstorm activity to protect themselves from lightning. The heavy precipitation could also lead to riverine flooding in some river catchments, landslides or mudslides in vulnerable terrains, and damage to kutcha roads, structures, and standing crops.
In response to the deteriorating weather, sea conditions along the Odisha coast are expected to become rough to very rough. Fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea from July 4 to July 7, 2026. Additionally, a Local Cautionary Signal Number Three has been hoisted at all ports across the state to alert maritime vessels. Local administrations remain instructed to monitor the situation continuously and immediately report any damages caused by the severe weather.