Rain and thundershower predicted for Orissa coastal areas

Coastal Orissa is likely to be lashed by thundershowers under the impact of the cyclonic storm 'Laila' that lay centred over the Bay of Bengal about 700 km south-south west of Gopalpur today.
    
The current environmental conditions and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models suggested that the system was likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction, the India Meteorological Department here said.

The system is expected to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Kakinada, close to Machilipatnam by tomorrow morning, it said.

The cyclonic storm is likely to trigger rain or thundershowers at some places in south and north Orissa by tomorrow, it said.

Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea off the south Orissa coast.