Times News NetworkBhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to witness light to moderate rainfall across several coastal and interior districts over the next three days from Tuesday under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday, not ruling out light to moderate rain in Puri on July 16, the day of Rath Yatra.The Met office has also issued heavy to very heavy rain warnings for some districts, Manorama Mohanty, head of the regional IMD centre in Bhubaneswar, said.Former IMD director Sarat Chandra Sahu said moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to continue in north and western Odisha, particularly in the catchment areas of Subarnarekha, Budhabalang, Brahmani and Baitarani rivers, from July 14 to 17.The IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kandhamal on Tuesday, followed by Kendrapara and Gajapati on Wednesday. A yellow warning for heavy rainfall at isolated places has been issued for 18 districts over the next three days.The IMD also said hot and humid conditions are likely to persist at isolated places in 11 coastal districts, including Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Kendrapara.The IMD’s evening rainfall report showed Balasore received 12mm during the day, followed by Chandbali with 8.6mm. The morning report said Jagatsinghpur recorded 6mm in the last 24 hours.Cumulative monsoon rainfall in the state is 4% above normal, though nine of the 30 districts are still rain-deficient.
