Bhubaneswar | Heavy rainfall lashed parts of Odisha on Friday as a low-pressure system was formed over the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

Under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over South Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, the low-pressure area was formed over the Northwest Bay of Bengal on Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department said.

The weather office said the associated cyclonic circulation extended up to mid-tropospheric levels and tilted southwestwards.

“It is likely to become more marked and move west-northwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand in the next 2-3 days,” the IMD said.

The Met office also forecast heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Angul.

Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack.

Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said there is heavy to very heavy rain at a few places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara and low-lying areas would be inundated.

The SRC directed the collectors concerned to keep administrative machinery ready to face any eventuality.

“Must keep the drains/stormwater channels de-congested, and adequate pumps may be deployed as per requirement,” the SRC told district collectors. P