Residents of Orissa have reason to cheer as the state has been getting plenty of rain in the last few days and the weatherman on Monday predicted an average monsoon and heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next couple of days.
"In Orissa there is no problem of rain. We are expecting average rainfall this year. There is just a minor shortfall till now," director of Bhubaneswar metrological department Ashok Chandra Sahoo told IANS.
"According to our assessment, the average rainfall is 354.7 mm of which 325.3 mm of rainfall has already been recorded. We expect that the shortfall will be met in the next couple of days," Sahoo added.
According to met officials, heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the next couple of days due to the low pressure that has formed over the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
"The cyclonic circulation has intensified and taken the shape of low pressure over the Bay of Bengal. Under its effect heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over the next couple of days all over the state," said Surendranath Pasupalak, a weather scientist in Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar.
"In some places heavy to very heavy rain fall to the tune of 25 centimeter is expected in next 48 hours," Pasupalak said.
{{/usCountry}}"In some places heavy to very heavy rain fall to the tune of 25 centimeter is expected in next 48 hours," Pasupalak said.
{{/usCountry}}Sahoo said: "Majority of rivers in the state might come in spate as there is heavy rain in catchment areas of big rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani."