Bhubaneswar: A low pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.

"A cyclonic circulation lies over Northeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood and extends up to middle tropospheric level. Under its influence, a Low Pressure Area is likely to form over northwest & adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal during next 24 hours," the IMD said in its morning bulletin.

On the other hand, the Regional Meteorological Centre here has issued rainfall and thunderstorm warning for several districts of Odisha for today.

"Heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Koraput, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and heavy rainfall very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Khurda, Puri, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Bargarh, Rayagada, Bolangir, Nuapada, Ganjam and Gajapati," the Meteorological Centre forecasted.

"Thunderstorm with lightning very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Boudh and Sonepur," it predicted.