Bhubaneswar, Jul 22 (IANS): A fresh low pressure area has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood and will trigger heavy rainfall in several places in Odisha for five days starting from Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the Bhubaneswar Met Centre bulletin, under the influence of the low pressure, heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Deogarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, and Koraput.

Districts like Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Bolangir, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nawarangpur, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Boudh, Angul, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore will experience heavy downpour on Friday.

Few places in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Koraput, Bargarh, and Jharsuguda districts would also receive heavy rain on July 24 and Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Balasore, Koraput and Malkangiri on July 25, the IMD said.

On July 26, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Malkangiri, and Koraput.

Till Thursday, the state has recorded a rainfall of 346.3 mm during this monsoon season, which is 24 per cent less than the long term average rainfall. At least 19 districts have witnessed deficit rain in this monsoon season so far.