Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Bhubaneswar centre on Tuesday issued a seven-day weather forecast for Odisha, warning of a combination of thunderstorms with gusty winds, heat wave conditions, and rough seas. The bulletin, urges residents and fishermen to prepare for potentially hazardous weather across several districts.
The current synoptic situation shows a trough in westerlies running along Longitude 86°E north of Latitude 20°N, influencing the state’s weather. On Tuesday, Jharsuguda recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at a scorching 44.7°C, while a squall of 65 kmph was reported over Rourkela on April 27.
The most severe alerts (Orange Warning, meaning “Be Prepared to Take Action”) are concentrated in the first three days, primarily for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 50-60 kmph.
Day 1 (Valid until morning of April 29): Orange warnings for thunderstorms with 50-60 kmph winds are in effect for Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, and Gajapati during afternoon/evening hours.
A broader Yellow Warning (40-50 kmph winds) is issued for many other districts. Additionally, isolated heat wave conditions are very likely over Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Nayagarh, and Bargarh. Warm night and hot & humid conditions are also forecast in isolated pockets.
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 significant warning has been issued for those along the coast. Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph, is very likely along and off the Odisha coast from April 28 to 30. Conditions will improve slightly to 45-55 kmph (gusting to 65 kmph) on May 1 and 2. The sea condition is expected to be rough to very rough from April 28 to May 2.
Fishermen are strongly advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast during this entire five-day period.
For Bhubaneswar and neighbourhood, the forecast for the next 24 hours predicts a partly cloudy sky with a possibility of rain or thunderstorm, with maximum and minimum temperatures around 35°C and 27°C respectively.
The Farmers’ Weather Bulletin echoes the Orange and Yellow warnings for the next 24 hours, cautioning agricultural activities against thunderstorms, heat wave conditions, and hot & humid weather across various districts.
