Bhubaneswar: Thunderstorm activity along with lightning, gusty wind and hail may continue in Odisha till February 23, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Thursday.
“The trough from Gangetic West Bengal to Telangana now runs from north Bangladesh to Telangana across Gangetic West Bengal, interior Odisha & south Chhattisgarh,” it said.
Orange warning for thunderstorm with lightning, gusty surface wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph and hail has been sounded for one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Angul till February 21 morning. Thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph may also occur at one or two places in Bargarh, Boudh, Cuttack, Gajpati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Kendrapada, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Puri, Rayagada, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sonepu and Nayagarh during this period.
Yellow warning for thunderstorm with lightning continues for one or two places in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts during the subsequent 24 hours.
On February 22, orange warning for thunderstorm with lightning, gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph and hail has again been issued for one or two places in Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar. Thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph may also occur at one or two places in Balasore, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Puri, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Bargarh districts.
The weather agency has warning of thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal on February 23.
People have been advised to keep a watch on weather and take safe shelter during the thunderstorm activity to protect themselves from lightning. “Also harvesting of crops may be regulated judicially and farmers are advised to use hail nets to protect vegetables and crops from hail,” it noted.
It has also warned of minor damage to loose/unsecured structures, banana trees and ripe paddy crops in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Angul districts.
Light to moderate rain may also occur in several parts of the state till February 25 morning. However, there will be no large change in the night temperature during the next 4-5 days, it added.
