Finance
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Yellow Warning on Monday for thunderstorms with lightning and strong surface winds in many Odisha districts, recommending inhabitants to stay cautious for the next 48 hours.
Thunderstorms with lightning and wind speeds reaching 30-40 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places across Sundergarh, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nawarangpur, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Gajapati, and Bargarh districts until 8:30 a.m. on February 24. A similar warning has been extended for sections of coastal and northern Odisha for the next 24 hours, concluding February 25.
The IMD categorised the alert as “Yellow Warning (Be Aware)”, indicating the possibility of weather conditions that could cause localised disruption. Light rain or thunderstorm activity is expected at one or two places in the warned districts, while dry weather is likely to prevail over the remaining parts of the state.
According to the advisory, a low-pressure area remained over the southwest and central Bay of Bengal as of 0830 hours on Monday. The related cyclonic circulation reaches up to 5.8 kilometers above mean sea level and is expected to continue northeast while gradually diminishing over the next 24 hours.
Dense fog was observed in one or two locations in Bhadrak district, while Keonjhar, Balasore, Jajpur, and Kendrapada experienced shallow to moderate fog conditions. For the next 24 hours, shallow to moderate fog is expected in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Puri in the early morning.
Temperature trends showed a significant spike in minimum temperatures of 2-3°C in isolated areas. Night temperatures were roughly 5°C higher than typical in areas of central Odisha, and 2-4°C higher in other places. The highest maximum temperature was 36.6°C in Jharsuguda, and the lowest minimum temperature was 14.0°C in Phulbani.
Moderate fog is forecast in Bhubaneswar and the surrounding areas, with maximum and minimum temperatures hovering around 36°C and 21°C, respectively, over the next 24 hours.
According to the IMD forecast, dry weather will prevail in Odisha after February 25 and continue until March 2, with no significant change in minimum temperatures over the next two days, followed by a steady drop of 2-3°C over the next three days.
There is no warning for fisherman around the Odisha coast for the next five days.
