Bhubaneswar, July 4 -- Under the influence of a well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal, Odisha is likely to witness extremely heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The IMD has issued a Red alert warning of extremely heavy rainfall for districts including Sambalpur, Boudh, Kalahandi, Subarnapur (Sonepur), and Angul area of Odisha during the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is also likely across several parts of the state over the next 48 hours.

The intense rainfall may trigger landslides in hilly regions and urban flash floods in low-lying areas of several districts. Residents h...