Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in several districts of Odisha beginning March 8, even as dry weather conditions continue across the state for the next few days.
According to the Midday Weather Bulletin released by the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, thunderstorms with lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 30–40 kmph are likely to occur at isolated places over Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts on March 8.
The warning will extend to more districts on March 9, when similar thunderstorm activity is expected at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
Weather experts attributed the change in conditions to an upper air cyclonic circulation over north Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, along with a trough extending from central Uttar Pradesh to the system across parts of central and eastern India.
Despite the expected thunderstorm activity next week, dry weather is likely to prevail across Odisha until March 7, with only shallow to moderate fog predicted in some coastal districts during early morning hours.
The bulletin also noted that temperatures across the state remain above normal in several interior districts. The highest maximum temperature recorded on Thursday was 39.6°C at Jharsuguda, while the lowest minimum temperature was 13.2°C at Rourkela.
For Bhubaneswar and adjoining areas, moderate fog is likely during early hours, with the day temperature expected to hover around 37°C and the night temperature around 22°C over the next 24 hours.
The IMD further stated that no major change in maximum temperature is expected over the next five days, though temperatures may rise by 2–3°C thereafter across the state.
