Finance
On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Bhubaneswar centre released a seven-day weather forecast for Odisha, warning of thunderstorms, gusty winds, heat wave conditions, and stormy seas. The alert warns residents and fishermen in many districts to be prepared for possibly severe weather conditions.
The current synoptic situation displays a trough of westerlies moving along Longitude 86°E north of Latitude 20°N, influencing the state’s weather. On Tuesday, Jharsuguda recorded the state’s greatest maximum temperature of 44.7°C, while a 65-kmph squall was reported over Rourkela on April 27.
The most severe alerts (Orange Warning, which means “Be Prepared to Take Action”) are issued in the first three days, particularly for thunderstorms with lightning and vigorous surface winds of 50-60 kmph.
Day 1 (valid till the morning of April 29): Orange warnings for thunderstorms with winds of 50-60 kmph are in place for Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, and Gajapati during the afternoon/evening.
A larger Yellow Warning (40-50 kmph winds) has been issued for numerous other districts. In addition, isolated heat waves are extremely possible across Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Nayagarh, and Bargarh. Warm nights and hot and humid conditions are also expected in isolated areas.
Day 2 (Morning of April 29 to Morning of April 30): The Orange Warning continues for thunderstorms (50-60 kmph) over Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, and Bhadrak, as well as another set of districts including Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Gajapati, and others. Hot and humid conditions will persist in several coastal and interior districts.
Day 3 (Morning of April 30 to Morning of May 1): An Orange Warning remains for thunderstorm activity (50-60 kmph) over Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Ganjam, and Gajapati, while other districts may see lighter rain.
Days 4 to 7 (May 1 to May 5): The warning level downgrades to Yellow (“Be Aware”) as thunderstorm intensity decreases. From May 1, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are likely over all districts. For May 2-5, the activity becomes more scattered, with gusty winds of 30-50 kmph predicted over specific districts, particularly in coastal and northern areas. The outlook for the subsequent three days (May 5-8) indicates “No Large Change.”
A serious warning has been issued for residents near the coast. Squally weather with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph, is expected along and off the Odisha coast from April 28 to 30. On May 1 and 2, conditions will improve slightly to 45-55 kmph (with gusts to 65 kmph). The sea conditions are forecast to be moderate to extremely rough between April 28 and May 2.
Fishermen are strongly urged not to venture into the sea along or off the Odisha coast throughout the entire five-day timeframe.
The forecast for Bhubaneswar and the surrounding areas for the next 24 hours expects a partly overcast sky with a chance of rain or thunderstorms, with maximum and minimum temperatures of 35°C and 27°C, respectively.
The Farmers’ Weather Bulletin reiterates the Orange and Yellow warnings for the next 24 hours, cautioning agricultural activities in various districts about thunderstorms, heat waves, and hot and humid conditions.
