Bhubaneswar: Odisha is likely to experience thunderstorm activity with lightning, gusty surface wind, hail and heavy rain till April 19, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Tuesday.
Orange warning of thunderstorm accompanied by lightning, gusty surface wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph and hailstorm has been sounded for a few places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Angul, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, and Koraput districts in the afternoon/evening hours on April 15.
The weather agency has warned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, banana trees, loose/unsecured/vulnerable structures due to strong winds in these districts. People have been advised to keep watch on weather and take shelter at safe places during the thunderstorm activity to protect themselves from lightning “Harvesting of crops may be regulated judicially and farmers are advised to use hail nets to protect vegetables and crops from hail,” it said.
It also predicted heavy rainfall at one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Angul, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, and Koraput.
Thunderstorm/lightning with gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph is also likely in the afternoon/evening hours at one or two places over the districts of Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Boudh, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, and Dhenkanal. Heavy rainfall may also occur at one or two places in Rayagada and Malkangiri, it added.
Yellow warning of thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph continues for next 4 days.