IMD issues week-long yellow warning for Odisha; thunderstorms and lightning likely across several districts

Bhubaneswar, Oct 6: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a week-long ‘Yellow Warning’ for most parts of Odisha, cautioning residents to “Be Aware” of possible thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over the next seven days. The advisory was released in the midday bulletin from the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre on Monday.

According to the IMD, the weather alert will remain particularly intense from October 6 to 9, covering more than 20 districts including Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Angul, Mayurbhanj, and the entire coastal belt from Balasore to Gajapati. During this period, thunderstorms with lightning and surface winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph are likely at one or two places in these areas.

From Day 4 onward, the spatial extent of the warning will reduce slightly, though Balasore, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Ganjam, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj will continue to remain under alert until Day 5. Towards the weekend, the weather activity is expected to shift gradually towards the coastal and southern parts of the state.

In the past 24 hours, light to moderate rain occurred at several locations, with heavy rainfall reported in Puri (8 cm), Kendrapara (7 cm), and Gajapati (7 cm). The IMD has urged people to remain alert and follow lightning safety guidelines during this period.