Bhubaneswar, July 26 -- A well-marked low-pressure area has intensified into a depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas off the north Odisha-West Bengal coasts, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue red, orange and yellow alerts across Odisha.

The IMD has forecast extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, over parts of the state during the next 48 hours.

A Red Alert, heavy to very heavy rainfall warning has been issued for Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Angul districts, with several other parts of the state likely to receive heavy rainfall. Extremely heavy rain may trigger landslides in hilly areas and flash floods in low-l...