Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar has forecast a week of unsettled weather for Odisha, issuing a ‘Yellow Warning’ for thunderstorms across a majority of the state’s districts over the next five days.
The advisory comes as the IMD monitors a developing weather system over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) that could intensify in the coming days.
According to the midday bulletin issued on Thursday, an upper air cyclonic circulation lies over the southeast Bay of Bengal adjoining the South Andaman Sea. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the region on Friday, October 24.
The system is expected to move west-northwestwards and become more marked over the subsequent 24 hours.
For the next 48 hours (Days 1 & 2), light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are very likely at one or two places over districts of South Coastal Odisha, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nawarangpur, and Nayagarh. A Yellow Warning (Be Aware) is in effect for these districts, indicating the possibility of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph.
The weather activity is predicted to scale up significantly from Day 3 (October 25). The forecast indicates light to moderate rain or thunderstorms will spread to include most districts of Coastal and Southern Odisha, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, and Jagatsinghpur. The Yellow Warning for thunderstorms will remain in effect for these widespread areas from Day 3 through Day 5.
By Day 5 and Day 6, the rainfall is expected to become more widespread, occurring at “many places” across the entire state, before beginning to taper off to “a few places” by Day 7.
The bulletin noted that shallow fog was reported in Sundargarh district. Paradip recorded the highest maximum temperature in the plains at 34.6°C, while Phulbani recorded the lowest minimum at 18.0°C. No warnings have been issued for fishermen along the Odisha coast for the next five days.
The IMD has advised residents to stay updated via its official ‘Mausam’, ‘Meghdoot’, and ‘Damini’ apps for location-specific forecasts, agricultural advice, and lightning warnings.
