Bhubaneswar: Norma life was affected in parts of Odisha, particularly in the southern districts of Koraput and Malkangiri, due to low pressure-induced heavy rain leading to landslides and submergence of major roads, officials said on Saturday.

Rainwater was flowing around three feet above a bridge on National Highway 326 in MV-96 village in Malkangiri district, snapping vehicular movement between Malkangiri, Motu and Jeypore.

Inter-State vehicular movement between Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was also severely affected as rainwater was flowing on the National Highway, a Revenue department official said, adding that trucks carrying essential items were stranded.

Koraput received 26.7 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours till 8.30 am on Saturday, triggering landslides on hilly roads.

A landslide blocked Baijaghati-Kerenga hill road, disrupting connectivity between Damanjodi and Narayanpatna areas. The landslide occurred early on Saturday and efforts were underway to clear the road, officials said.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rain in 20 of the 30 districts of the State. Rainfall is likely to continue till August 19 due to the prevailing low pressure area. The low pressure will advance along northern coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha.

In the last 24 hours, Koraput, Nuapada, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Cuttack districts received excess rainfall while more than normal downpour was recorded in Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh and Bolangir districts, it said.

The IMD, in its latest forecast, stated that a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast around August 18, leading to increase in rainfall activity over eastern and central India. Squally wind with speed of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, is likely along and off South Odisha coast, West-Central Bay and North-West Bay of Bengal.

The whole of Odisha, however, has recorded 7 per cent below-normal rainfall from June 1 to August 14, the IMD said. The State has received 677.5 mm rainfall during the period against the normal of 724.8 mm.