11 Districts In Odisha Likely To Experience Hailstorm In 12 Hours

Bhubaneswar: In a relief to the people, the day temperature is unlikely to rise as thunderstorm activities will continue for next 5 days across Odisha.

The regional centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar, in its evening bulletin on Tuesday, issued an orange warning for 11 districts of the state.

In its warning, the IMD stated that thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph and hailstorm are very likely at one or two places in Bhadrak, Balasore, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kandhamal and Deogarh districts by Wednesday morning.

It has advised the people to keep watch on weather and take safe shelter during the thunderstorm activity to protect themselves from lightning and follow traffic advisories in urban areas.

It has also issued a yellow warning and stated that thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph are very likely at one or two places in Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati and Boudh during the period.

Meanwhile, the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA)’s Centre of Environment and Climate (CEC) in Bhubaneswar said there is less likelihood of the day temperature rising in the state till May 5 due to incursion of moisture laden wind from the Bay of Bengal caused by anti-cyclonic flow along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast.

This anti-cyclonic flow has become favourable for availability of moisture over Odisha while local surface heating could cause sporadic norwester, also known as ‘Kalbaisakhi’, events. But the day-to-day frequency of such events will be more in coastal and southern districts, it added.

The day temperature is expected to hover around 35 or 36 degree Celsius on most days barring 4 days between May 27 and 30 when the mercury could rise up to 38 degree in a few locations, the bulletin said.

The frequency of ‘Kalbaisakhi’ is likely to intensify from May 1 due to combination of upper air trough from the west and increased flow of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, it added.