Bhubaneshwar: The IMD today forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall along Odisha’s coastal regions in the next 24 hours, even as farmers struggled to safeguard their kharif crop from the unseasonal downpour.

The state has been experiencing rainfall since November 13, due to a low pressure formation, which later intensified into a depression over the Bay of Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department, in its latest bulletin, said heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places over the coastal regions during the next 24 hours.

Heavy rainfall at one or two places over interior parts of the state is also expected during the period, it said.

The depression now lay centred at about 210 km from south-southwest direction of Gopalpur, the IMD said. It is moving in north-northeast direction at 14 km per hour, and will weaken after 24 hours.

Under the depression’s impact, Odisha is likely to experience winds at the rate of 40-50 km per hour.

The weather office also cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea as the condition will remain rough.

Sources in the IMD said Puri district has received the maximum rainfall in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, farmers across the state were worried as their paddy fields have been submerged in many coastal districts.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had yesterday asked officials of the agriculture, and revenue and disaster management department to send field staff to places receiving heavy rainfall.