A low-pressure area formed over the north-west Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast on Tuesday is likely to intensify into a depression on Thursday, according to the Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of SOA Deemed to be University.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Tuesday directed the collectors of 17 districts to stay on alert and initiate preparedness measures following the inclement weather forecast due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the North Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh and Gangetic West Bengal.

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The system is likely to move in a north-easterly direction along the Odisha coast, a CEC bulletin said.

Under the influence of the system, widespread rainfall is expected to occur across the state, but heavy to very heavy precipitation may occur in the coastal and northern districts.

The high intensity of rainfall is likely to be experienced between May 28 and 30 over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Nayagarh, and Ganjam, it said.

There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the catchment regions of rivers Baitarani, Subarnarekha, and Budhabalang, the bulletin said, adding widespread rain might favour the onset of the south west monsoon over Odisha by Thursday.

There might be a dry period accompanied by a rise in temperature between June 1 and 3, after which the rainfall is expected to increase, it said.