Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16 -- Under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation, a low-pressure area has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-Odisha coasts, IMD said on Sunday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system is likely to move northwards and become more active during the next 24 hours.

North and western parts of Odisha are likely to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall under its influence. Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar have been placed under red alert. Bolangir, Sambalpur and Sundargarh are also likely to experience heavy rain. Coastal districts including Puri, Cuttack and Khordha are also expected to witness rainfall.

The weather system is expected to i...