Lightning alert for 19 districts, more rain forecast

Bhubaneswar: The regional office of India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued thunderstorm and lightning warning for 19 districts of Odisha.
According to an IMD bulletin, thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur in Keonjhar, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Bargarh and Sonepur districts between 1.15 pm and 5.15 pm.
People in these districts have been advised to take shelter in nearby buildings or other safe locations.
On Friday, 11 people had died in lighting strikes across the state.
The IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall in south and coastal parts of the state during the next 24 hours.