Bhubaneswar: Rain accompanied by hail, thunderstorm, lightning and high-velocity wind battered Bhubaneswar and adjoining areas on Saturday afternoon.
Residents of the capital city received the much-needed respite from the sweltering heat following sudden rain coupled with strong wind, while some places were lashed by hail in the afternoon.
Under the impact of strong winds, several trees were found uprooted, while broken branched blocked roads in some parts of the city. Fragile structures were also damaged.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a nowcast warning of thunderstorm and lightning in 11 Odisha districts in next three hours.
According to the nowcast warning issued at 2.40 pm, thunderstorm with lightning and rain accompanied by winds reaching 40–50 kmph is very likely at one or two places over Angul, Balasore, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Balangir, Kalahandi, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack (including Cuttack city), Puri (including Puri city), and Khurda (including Bhubaneswar city) during the next three hours.
The weather agency has issued a yellow alert, advising people to be aware. Residents have been asked to keep a watch on worsening weather conditions and move to safer places to protect themselves from thunderstorms and lightning strikes.
