Odisha braces for heavy rain as Bay of Bengal depression intensifies
A well‑marked low‑pressure area over the north‑west Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on 26 July and is forecast to deepen and cross the Odisha‑West Bengal coastline between Paradip and Sagar Island on 27 July. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red alerts for Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Angul districts, orange alerts for many other districts and yellow alerts for additional areas. The agency warned of extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and wind speeds up to 80 km/h for the next 48 hours, with the risk of landslides, flash floods and water‑logging.
Fishermen were instructed to stay out of the sea for four days and a local‑alert‑cautionary signal (LAC‑III) was hoisted at all Odisha ports. Schools in Jagatsinghpur and Mayurbhanj districts were ordered closed on 27 July. Similar warnings and yellow alerts were issued for Kerala districts and maritime restrictions placed on small‑boat operations in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand; Andhra Pradesh authorities also barred fishing until 29 July.
The alerts affect millions of residents across Odisha and neighbouring states, and the IMD has advised the public to follow official advisories, avoid travel in vulnerable areas and take precautions against flooding and landslides.
Entities: Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority · Bay of Bengal · India Meteorological Department · India Meteorological Department (IMD) · Kerala · Manorama Mohanty · Odisha · Paradip
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] A low-pressure area over the north‑west Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on 26 July. (IMD)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Orange and yellow alerts were issued for additional districts in Odisha. (IMD)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Fishermen were advised not to venture into deep sea and coastal areas of Odisha for four days. (IMD)
- [● 3 SOURCES] IMD issued red alerts for Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Angul districts. (IMD)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A yellow alert for heavy rain was issued for several Kerala districts through 1 August 2026. (IMD)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Local Alert‑Cautionary Signal (LAC‑III) was hoisted at all Odisha ports for 24 hours. (IMD)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The IMD forecast extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds over Odisha for the next 48 hours. (IMD)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Schools in Jagatsinghpur and Mayurbhanj districts were ordered closed on 27 July. (State authorities)