Heavy rains lash parts of Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata/Ranchi: Heavy rains continued to lash several districts of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand on Wednesday due to a low-pressure area in the eastern region.

The Meteorological department has forecast heavy rain in several districts of West Bengal till October 5 under the influence of the low-pressure area formed over southwest Jharkhand and adjoining northern Chhattisgarh.

It said that light to moderate rain will occur at most places in the state during the period.

Even as Odisha received heavy rain in the last 24 hours due to the southwest monsoon, the weather office predicted more downpours for one more day.

As many as 11 districts in Odisha have received light to moderate rainfall since Wednesday morning, the Met Office said.

The average rainfall in the state from October 1 to 5.30 pm on October 3 was 57.3 mm as against the average October monthly rainfall of 114.7 mm.

Meanwhile, the Met department has issued an orange warning, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) for the districts of Sundergarh, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj till 8.30 am on Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall may also occur at one or two places in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts, the weather office said.

Rainfall continued in Jharkhand under the influence of the low-pressure system, which now lies over the southern part of the state, a Met department official said.

Dhurki in Garhwa district recorded the state's highest 152 mm rainfall till Tuesday.

The state has received 78 mm of precipitation from October 1 to October 3 as against the normal rainfall of 11.7 mm, he said.

Several places in West Bengal, including the state capital Kolkata, witnessed downpours overnight and on Wednesday morning.

The Met department on Tuesday forecast heavy rain in Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum and Murshidabad districts of south Bengal during the period, the Met said.

The north Bengal districts of Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Malda and North and South Dinajpur are also likely to receive heavy rain till October 5, it said.