Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a seven-day weather outlook warning of thunderstorms, lightning, gusty surface winds and spells of heavy rainfall across Odisha, urging people in vulnerable areas to remain alert as wet weather is expected to continue across the state over the coming week.
The IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has placed several districts under a Yellow Warning for the next three days for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph. The warning covers coastal as well as interior districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati and, on the first day, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. Additional districts such as Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh and Kandhamal are expected to come under the thunderstorm warning on the third day.
The forecast indicates that rainfall activity is likely to intensify from the fourth day onwards, with light to moderate rain expected at many places across Odisha. Heavy rainfall has been forecast for Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj on August 2-3, shifting to Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Gajapati on August 3-4. The heavy rain warning is expected to extend to Kandhamal and Koraput on August 4-5 before remaining confined to Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Koraput on August 5-6. The IMD has indicated no major change in the overall weather pattern during the subsequent three days.
According to the IMD, the Deep Depression over central Chhattisgarh and adjoining north interior Odisha has moved westwards into west-central Chhattisgarh and adjoining parts of Vidarbha and southeast Madhya Pradesh. The system is expected to weaken into a depression within the next 12 hours while continuing its westward movement, though favourable monsoon conditions are expected to sustain widespread rainfall over Odisha.
During the past 24 hours, light to moderate rainfall occurred at many places across Odisha, while heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded at isolated places in Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts. Sinapali and Paikmal received 16 cm of rainfall each, while Khariar and Boden recorded 15 cm each.
The IMD has also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the south Odisha coast on Thursday due to squally weather, with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting up to 60 kmph and rough to very rough sea conditions. No such warning has been issued beyond July 30.
For Bhubaneswar and its adjoining areas, the IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain during the next 24 hours, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain around 33 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.
