Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow warning of light to moderate rain/thunderstorm with lightning for seven districts of Odisha, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, till 2.30 pm on Monday.
The districts that are likely to be affected are Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Cuttack and Khurda. People have been advised to keep a watch on the weather and accordingly move to safer places to protect themselves from lightning strikes.
The weather agency had earlier forecast light to moderate rain or thundershower at a few places across Odisha during next 24 hours. Yellow warning of thunderstorm with lightning has been issued for one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Angul and Dhenkanal on August 22. Light to moderate rain or thundershower may also occur at many places in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sundargarh and Deogarh and at a few places in rest of the state.
The intensity of rain is likely to increase thereafter with the likely formation of another cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal around August 25.
The IMD has sounded yellow warning of heavy rain for one or two places in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Balasore on August 23. There is also thunderstorm with lightning warning for one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Khurda, Nayagarh,Ganjam, Kandhamal, Puri, Angul, Dhenkanal and Deogarh districts. Light to moderate rain or thundershower may occur at many places in North Odisha and at a few places in southern districts of the state.
On August 24, heavy rain may lash one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal. Yellow warning of thunderstorm with lightning has also been issued for one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati,Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Sonepur and Boudh. Light to moderate rain or thundershower may also occur at many places across Odisha.
There will be little change in the weather conditions during the next two days, it added.
