Bhubaneswar, Jun 30: The southwest monsoon has turned active over Odisha, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting the formation of a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal around July 3.

A cyclonic circulation currently lies over the north Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Bangladesh between 1.5 km and 5.8 km above sea level, tilting southwestward with height.

Under its influence, a low-pressure system is likely to develop, triggering widespread rainfall across Odisha from June 30 to July 6. Wind speeds of 40–50 kmph are expected on July 3 and 4, making marine conditions unsafe.

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The IMD has warned of rough sea conditions along the Odisha coast, advising fishermen not to venture into the sea during this period.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has issued a yellow alert for 11 districts, including Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, and Angul. These districts are likely to experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours.

Despite the active monsoon, rainfall in June has been deficient. Odisha recorded only 110 mm of rainfall against the normal 209 mm, marking a 46% shortfall. Dr Manorama Mohanty, Director of Met Centre, attribute this deficit to the El Niño effect, which disrupted monsoon patterns.

With the upcoming low-pressure system, Odisha is expected to witness a significant revival of monsoon rains, bringing relief to farmers and replenishing water resources.