Rain in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, due to cyclone Montha. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
At a time when farmers across Odisha are preparing for crop cutting in the kharif season, the threat of heavy rain triggered by an emerging atmospheric system has raised concerns about potential damage to their annual harvest.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday (November 20, 2025) said a depression is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal by November 24.
“An upper air cyclonic circulation lies over the central parts of the Strait of Malacca and extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22, 2025,” an IMD bulletin stated.
Thereafter, the system is expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the central parts of the southern Bay of Bengal around November 24, the bulletin said. It is likely to continue moving in the same direction and strengthen further over the southwest Bay of Bengal in the subsequent 48 hours.
According to the State Agriculture Department, farmers are anticipating a bumper harvest this year, buoyed by well-distributed rainfall during the peak growing season. However, any heavy rain at this stage could flatten the plants and compromise the quality of the paddy, officials warned.
Published – November 21, 2025 03:56 am IST
