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On Thursday, numerous sections of Odisha had light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, with heavy rainfall recorded in isolated areas of Bhadrak district, according to the India Meteorological Department’s midday bulletin.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, an upper air cyclonic circulation exists over south Gangetic West Bengal and neighboring north Odisha, stretching up to 1.5 km above mean sea level and impacting weather conditions throughout the state.
Rainfall was observed in a few coastal districts and isolated areas of central Odisha. Dhamnagar in Bhadrak had the most rainfall, 8 cm, followed by Hatadihi in Keonjhar (6 cm) and Korei in Jajpur (5 cm). Several additional sites in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, Ganjam and Rayagada also received moderate rainfall.
Severe thunderstorm activity has reportedly claimed the lives of two people in Nayagarh and Balasore districts, as well as seven animals in Nayagarh. Hailstorms were observed in Bhadrak, while comparable circumstances with strong winds were reported in areas of Jajpur district.
Day temperatures dropped by 2-3°C in isolated areas and remained below normal in parts of central Odisha. Sonepur recorded the highest maximum temperature of 38.0°C, and Rayagada had the lowest minimum temperature of 18.0°C.
The IMD has issued an Orange Warning for thunderstorms with lightning and strong gusts of 40-50 kmph in isolated locations in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts until Friday morning. A Yellow Warning has also been issued for several other districts, including Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Gajapati and Ganjam, with similar conditions likely.
Light to moderate rain or thundershower activity is predicted to continue in numerous districts over the next three days, with thunderstorm warnings in northern and coastal Odisha.
The outlook for Bhubaneswar and the surrounding areas is partly cloudy with the risk of thunderstorms. Over the next 24 hours, the highest and lowest temperatures are expected to be about 36°C and 24°C, respectively.
The IMD has encouraged people to keep alert, avoid taking refuge under trees during thunderstorms, and stay indoors if possible to reduce the risk of lightning and severe winds.
