Bhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to witness a wet Dussehra as a low pressure is brewing in the Bay of Bengal and the IMD has predicted showers October 23 and 24.
While the Navami of Durga Puja festival is on October 23, the day following will be celebrated as ‘Dasami’ or Dussehra.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its evening bulletin on Wednesday said a low-pressure area will form over the Bay of Bengal around October 20 under the influence of a cyclonic circulation.
“The cyclonic circulation formed in Bay of Bengal and adjoining Andaman Sea now lies over southeast Bay of Bengal… It is likely to move northwestwards and under its influence a low-pressure area to form over central parts of Bay of Bengal around October 20,” IMD’s regional centre said in a bulletin.
The regional meteorological centre director H R Biswas said light to moderate rainfall for some districts till October 19 while dry weather would prevail across the state from October 20 to 23. After that, a few places of coastal Odisha would experience rainfall activity on October 23 and 24, he said.
Light to moderate rainfall will occur at a few places over the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Balasore on Thursday. Dry weather will prevail over the rest of the districts of Odisha during the day, he said.
In the past 24 hours, light rainfall has occurred at one or two places over the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Gajapati and Puri.
The puja organisers are worried about the weather forecast and are making preparations keeping in view the possible rain on Navami and Dasami.
“We have made arrangements to keep the puja pandal dry. Tarpaulin sheets are fixed atop the pandal to ensure a smooth puja,” said Kedar Patnaik of Nayaplii Durga Puja Samiti.
Other puja organisers are also making arrangements accordingly. As many as 185 puja pandals are being prepared for the festival in the state capital.
PTI