Bhubaneswar, July 15: A depression that developed over Gangetic West Bengal on Monday has now moved west-northwest and is centered over Jharkhand and adjoining areas, according to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday morning.

As of 5:30 am, the weather system was positioned near latitude 24.0°N and longitude 86.7°E — about 40 km northeast of Dhanbad, 140 km east of Hazaribagh, and 200 km east-southeast of Gaya. Moving at a speed of 23 kmph, the depression is expected to travel west-northwestward across Jharkhand and southern Bihar, heading toward eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is likely to retain its strength as a depression for the next 24 hours.

Although Odisha is not in the direct path of the system, its outer rain bands and intensified monsoon activity are already affecting northern and coastal districts. IMD has issued red and orange alerts for districts like Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Kendujhar, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations.

The IMD has advised residents, especially those near rivers and in hilly areas, to stay alert and follow safety guidelines as rainfall is expected to persist over the next 2–3 days.

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