Finance
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are anticipated to continue in various districts of Odisha over the next few days even as heatwave and hot-and-humid weather persist in portions of the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.
According to the IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar’s lunchtime weather bulletin, light to moderate rain or thundershower activity has been reported in one or two locations in Odisha in the last 24 hours. Rasagovindapur in Mayurbhanj district recorded the highest rainfall of 4 cm, followed by Similiguda in Koraput district with 3 cm.
The southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala on May 26, with a model error margin of plus or minus four days. Conditions are also suitable for the monsoon to progress into further areas of the southeast Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman Sea over the next three to four days.
The IMD has issued an Orange Warning for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty surface winds of 50-60 kmph in the afternoon or evening hours at isolated locations in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, and Mayurbhanj districts until Thursday morning.
A Yellow Warning for thunderstorms with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph has been sounded for Cuttack, Sundargarh, Rayagada, Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam districts, while several other districts are likely to experience gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
Despite the thunderstorm activity, heatwave conditions are forecast in isolated areas of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Angul, and Nayagarh districts. Warm nighttime temperatures are expected in Sambalpur and Bolangir districts, while hot and humid weather may persist in the coastal and adjacent districts, including Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, and Khurda.
On Wednesday, Jharsuguda had the state’s highest maximum temperature of 44.8 degrees Celsius, while Nabarangpur had the lowest minimum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures were almost 3 degrees Celsius above normal in isolated areas of interior Odisha.
The IMD advises people to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid taking refuge beneath trees, unplug electrical appliances, and keep away from water and electrically conductive objects. It cautioned that severe winds could cause modest damage to standing crops, banana plantations, kutcha huts, and loose constructions in sensitive areas.
