Bhubaneswar: A depression has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of heavy rainfall across Odisha over the next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

According to the IMD, the well-marked low pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and West Bengal coasts intensified into a depression at 8.30 am on July 26.

The weather system was centred near latitude 20.6°N and longitude 88.4°E, around 130 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal, 140 km southeast of Digha, 170 km east of Chandbali in Odisha, and 180 km east-southeast of Balasore.

The IMD said the depression is expected to move northwestwards and intensify further into a deep depression over the next 24 hours. It is likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around the forenoon or noon of July 27.

Under the influence of the system, Odisha is likely to experience heavy rainfall over the next two days. The rainfall activity is expected to intensify as the depression approaches the coast and makes landfall.