Finance
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Warning on Friday for thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and gusty surface winds in many districts of Odisha, while severe heatwave conditions are predicted to persist in western Odisha for the next several days.
According to the IMD’s India Meteorological Department’s midday weather bulletin, thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and winds gusting to 40-50 kmph are expected in one or two locations in Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Boudh, and Bolangir districts during the afternoon and evening hours through Saturday morning.
The meteorological office further cautioned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are highly likely in isolated areas of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, and Bolangir districts during the same time period.
Yellow warnings for thunderstorms and gusty winds have been issued for several other districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh. Hot and humid weather conditions are also likely to prevail in many coastal and interior districts.
According to the IMD, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are probable in one or two areas across all districts of Odisha on Friday, with similar conditions forecast to persist over numerous coastal and southern districts for the following five days.
According to the bulletin, heatwave conditions occurred in Khurda, Jharsuguda, and Sambalpur districts on Thursday, while Angul, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar were experiencing hot and humid weather. Bolangir district reported severe warm night conditions.
Jharsuguda recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature of 45.5 degrees Celsius, while Boudh had the lowest minimum temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius.
The IMD further added that the current weather pattern is influenced by an upper air cyclonic circulation over interior Odisha and favorable circumstances for the southwest monsoon to advance farther over sections of the Bay of Bengal and adjacent regions.
The IMD has warned people to avoid extended heat exposure, stay indoors during thunderstorms, and avoid trees, electric poles, and bodies of water during lightning activity.
