Several districts in Odisha were hammered by torrential rain, which officials said on Wednesday caused some bridges over overflowing rivers to fall and disrupted road connectivity.
At 5.30 am, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre reported that a depression that had been over Odisha the previous day had diminished into a clearly defined low pressure region (Lopar) across Chhattisgarh and east Madhya Pradesh.
According to a bulletin, it is predicted to drift west-northwestward during the following 24 hours before progressively weakening more.
Up until 8:30 am, Sambalpur was battered by intense downpours, with Jamankira receiving 147 mm of rain and the district office receiving 126 mm.
Rain, according to Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena, largely fell in southern and western Odisha. Bijepur in Bargarh received 115 mm of rain, while Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda received 136 mm. A landslide on one side of National Highway 53 near Sambalpur caused traffic to be impeded.
The meteorological office reported that Cuttack, Kalahandi, Deogarh, and Nabarangpur districts were also hit by rain.
Although the water levels in the Banshadhara and Nagavali rivers are rising, Jena assured reporters in Bhubaneswar that the situation is under control.
The situation in Malkangiri has improved after three days of flooding, according to Jena.
A piece of a bridge over a canal in Balasore has also collapsed, as has a bridge connecting Sarabanga and Amanara in Nuapada over the flooded Jonk river.
Many rivers, including the Mahanadi, were flowing below the danger level, according to Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu, who also noted that they were keeping a close eye on the situation.
Around Saturday, a new Lopar may form over the northern Bay of Bengal. The Meteorological Center warned that the system might intensify over the next 24 hours and move west-northwestward.
Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, and Keonjhar received an orange weather warning from the Met for extremely heavy rain through Thursday morning.
On Thursday, there is expected to be significant rainfall in Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Balasore. For the next three days, heavy to extremely severe rain is forecast in numerous districts.
Fishermen have been urged not to leave the coast until Thursday because squally weather with winds of 45–55 kmph is anticipated across the Bay of Bengal’s northwest and centre.
Prasanta Patnaik 
amfnews