Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty surface winds across several districts of Odisha over the next few days under the influence of a low-pressure area persisting over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal.
According to the Evening Weather Bulletin issued by the IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely at a few places in districts including Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri till Sunday morning.
The IMD has warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph at isolated places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts. Winds of 30-40 kmph are also likely in Sonepur, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur and Deogarh districts.
The weather agency said thunderstorm activity is likely to continue till at least May 21, particularly over northern, coastal and southern districts of the state. Similar yellow warnings have been issued for May 17 to May 21 for several districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Mayurbhanj.
The bulletin stated that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal persisted over the same region on Saturday afternoon with an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 4.5 km above mean sea level.
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has advanced into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, and is likely to progress further during the next three to four days. The IMD said the monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala around May 26, with a model error margin of plus or minus four days.
Several places in western Odisha continued to record high temperatures on Saturday. Hirakud registered the highest maximum temperature in the state at 41.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Jharsuguda and Sambalpur at 41.4 degrees Celsius each, Angul at 41.1 degrees Celsius and Bhawanipatna at 41 degrees Celsius. Bhubaneswar recorded 37.8 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has forecast no major change in daytime temperatures during the next two days, followed by a gradual rise of 2-3 degrees Celsius over subsequent days across Odisha.
