Brace for rain, thunderstorm & hail till April 25, IMD warns

Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain and thunderstorm, which have been lashing several parts of the state for the past few days, are expected to continue until April 25, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. An orange warning of rain and thunderstorm has been issued for several southern and northern districts, with likely hailstorm and high-speed winds.

A trough extending from Jharkhand to central Assam and a cyclonic circulation over north Bangladesh are responsible for the current weather conditions. The system has resulted in increased atmospheric moisture and instability, triggering severe weather conditions in the region, said IMD sources.

"Several districts, including Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati, are under an orange warning for Sunday, with the possibility of hailstorm and surface wind with speeds reaching 50 to 60 kmph. Yellow warning is in place for many other districts due to thunderstorm activity with winds up to 50 kmph," said Manorama Mohanty, director of IMD's regional centre here.

Light to moderate rainfall is expected in parts of southern, coastal and interior Odisha in the afternoon and evening over the next several days. Dry weather may prevail in some western districts during the period, the IMD bulletin said.

The intense nor'wester rains, accompanied by gusty winds, lightning and occasional hailstorm, brought down temperatures significantly at many places. While the maximum temperature shot up to 43°C in March, the mercury has remained significantly lower for over a week now, offering relief to residents.

"Summer rain is dangerous due to lightning and strong winds which are uprooting trees and damaging kutcha houses and also leading to power cuts," said Susmita Sahu, a resident of Sastri Nagar.

In the last 24 hours, 62 mm of rainfall was recorded in Mayurbhanj, while a maximum temperature of 42°C was recorded in Jharsuguda. Seven places in the state recorded temperatures above 40°C.

IMD has advised residents to stay indoors during thunderstorm, avoid taking shelter under trees, and unplug electronic devices. Farmers have been urged to use hail nets to protect crops and delay harvesting to avoid damage from gusty winds and hail. While the rain provided much-needed relief from the heat, the weather office cautioned that sudden strong winds could lead to minor damage to crops, kutcha houses and power lines in some areas. "People are encouraged to keep an eye on weather updates and take necessary precautions to stay safe during thunderstorm," Mohanty added.