Thunderstorm, Gusty Wind To Lash Odisha Today; 43.2°C In Bhubaneswar Amid Severe Heatwave Alert

Bhubaneswar: Amid the prevailing heatwave conditions in Odisha, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday predicted thunderstorm with lightning accompanied by gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Kandhamal, and Koraput districts.

Red warning of severe heatwave condition has also been issued for Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, and Boudh. Orange warning of heatwave has been sounded for Nuapada, Balangir, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, and Ganjam, Gajapati, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada and yellow warning for Koraput, Puri, Deogarh, and Sundargarh districts. Hot and humid weather condition may also prevail in Koraput and Puri, according to the midday bulletin.

There is also a forecast for light to moderate rain/thundershower at one or two places inBargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Nuapada, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam till 8.30 am on Monday.

The heatwave is likely to persist till May 2.

According to the weather agency, the day temperature may further rise slightly by 2°C at many places during the next 24 hours due to prevailing northwesterly/westerly dry air and high solar insolation. “Consequently, the maximum temperature may remain 4 to 6°C above normal in some districts during the next 4 to 5 days. People are advised to take precautionary measure while going outside during peak hours of the day time between 11 am and 3 pm.”

By 2.30 this afternoon, the mercury had soared past 40°C at five places with Bhubaneswar being the hottest at 43.2°C followed by Keonjhar (42.7°C), Chandbali (42.2°C), Balasore (41.4°C), and Rourkela (40.6°C).

On Sunday, mercury level hovered around 43°C or above at 14 places. The temperature was over 6°C above normal at three places. Bhubaneswar had recorded this season’s highest temperature of 44.6°C, which was 6.8°C above normal, followed by Baripada at 44.2°C (+6.7°C) and Cuttack at 43.4°C (+6.3°C).  Angul was the hottest place in the state at 44.7°C.

Odisha has already experienced 15 heatwave days in two spells this month. With hot weather condition dangerously tightening its grip over Odisha and weather agency predicting continuation of the same till May 9, this season could turn out to be the worst since 1998 when the state had seen 27 heatwave days between mid-April and May.

HEATWAVE WARNING FOR NEXT 4 DAYS