Bhubaneswar, July 30: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a seven-day weather outlook for Odisha, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, gusty surface winds and spells of heavy rainfall across several parts of the state. The weather office has advised people living in vulnerable and low-lying areas to remain alert as active monsoon conditions are expected to persist over the coming week.
According to the IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, a Yellow Warning has been issued for the next three days for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph. The warning covers several coastal and interior districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati. On the first day, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri have also been placed under the warning, while Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh and Kandhamal are expected to come under its ambit on the third day.
The IMD has forecast an increase in rainfall activity from August 2 onwards, with light to moderate rain likely at many places across the state. Heavy rainfall is expected over Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj on August 2-3 before shifting to Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Gajapati on August 3-4. Kandhamal and Koraput are likely to witness heavy rain on August 4-5, while Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Koraput may continue to receive heavy showers on August 5-6.
The weather agency said 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. Although the system is expected to weaken into a depression within the next 12 hours, favourable monsoon conditions will continue to support widespread rainfall over Odisha.
During the past 24 hours, many parts of the state received light to moderate rainfall, while isolated areas in Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur recorded heavy to very heavy rain. Sinapali and Paikmal received 16 cm of rainfall each, while Khariar and Boden recorded 15 cm each.
The IMD also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along the south Odisha coast due to squally weather, with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, and rough to very rough sea conditions. For Bhubaneswar and nearby areas, the forecast indicates a generally cloudy sky with light rain over the next 24 hours, with temperatures likely to hover around 33°C and 26°C.
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