Bhubaneswar: Heavy rains lashed Odisha due to the formation of a fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday and the State will get more downpour in the next four days, the IMD said. As the sea condition is very likely to be rough during Tuesday and Wednesday, the IMD has cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast till September 3.

The IMD, in a statement, said: “Under the influence of the upper air cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal and adjoining Myanmar coast, a low-pressure area has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on September 2. It is likely to become more marked over the same region during the next 24 hours.”

The weather office also said that the system will move west-northwestwards and thereafter across Odisha during the subsequent 24 hours. The entire coastal Odisha has been hit by heavy rain, and normal life has been affected since Monday night. Many urban pockets, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, reported waterlogging.

As rainwater inundated a bridge at Kangurkonda between Malkangiri and Motu, road communication to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has been disrupted. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the bridge, a Revenue department official said.

The IMD issued a ‘Red’ warning for Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts predicting scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph on Tuesday. It issued an ‘Orange’ warning of heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph over the districts of Malkangiri and Koraput.

The weather office issued a ‘Yellow’ warning, cautioning administration of heavy rain and thunderstorm with lightning accompanied by gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph at one or two places over the districts of Kalahandi, Nuapada, Bolangir and Bargarh.

Met sources said Hatadihi in Keonjhar district recorded the highest rainfall of 23 cm followed by Balasore, Ghasipura and Thuamul Rampur (13 cm) and Anandpur (10 cm). Several other places including Chilika, Akhuapada, Berhampur, Bahanga, Bhograi, Chitrakonda, Baripada, Kankadahad, Nilgiri and Bonth also received heavy rainfall during the day.