Bhubaneswar: Puri, the holy city where Rath Yatra begins, is expected to experience thunderstorms and lightning today, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Going by the prediction, Puri is likely to have a cloudy sky on Rath Yatra day, with a chance of light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 km/h. Puri has been issued a yellow alert.
According to the regional weather office, several Odisha districts are expected to experience thunderstorms with light to moderate rainfall on Friday.
Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and winds of 30-40 km/h are predicted in isolated areas of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda. Thunderstorms with winds of 30-40 km/h are also likely in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.
Looking ahead, the weather department has warned of continued heavy rainfall across Odisha from June 29 to July 3.
With the Rath Yatra drawing massive crowds from across the country and abroad, the weather warning has prompted the district administration to remain on high alert. Measures are being taken to ensure that rain-related disruptions do not hamper the grand chariot festival.
In the past 24 hours, rainfall has been reported in various locations, including Cuttack, Hirakud, Talcher, Balangir, and Titlagarh, among others, on Thursday.
