Kalabaisakhi Rains to Lash Odisha for 5 More Days

Bhubaneswar: While Odisha continues to reel under intense heat during the day, Norwester or Kalabaisakhi storms are wreaking havoc across the state in the afternoons and evenings, bringing intermittent relief through rain and thunderstorms.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the impact of Kalabaisakhi will persist for another five days.

A yellow warning has been issued for seven districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Angul and Dhenkanal — with wind speeds likely to reach 50 to 60 kmph accompanied by thunderstorms.

For the remaining 23 districts, the IMD has issued a yellow warning for rain, lightning, and gusty winds of 30 to 50 kmph.

Meanwhile, a well-marked low pressure area continues to persist over the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal. However, the Met department said the chances of it intensifying into a depression and making landfall remain low.

Conditions are gradually turning favourable for the advance of the southwest monsoon. The monsoon is likely to enter parts of the south Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by May 16, 2026, the IMD added.

Temperature on the rise

Despite the evening showers, daytime temperatures are climbing across Odisha. The Meteorological Department has estimated a rise of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius in various parts of the state over the next two days.

In the last 24 hours, temperatures crossed the 40-degree mark at three places. Titilagarh in Balangir district recorded the highest maximum temperature at 40.5 degrees Celsius.

Heavy rain in parts of state

Kalabaisakhi showers were reported from 13 places in the last 24 hours. Banki in Cuttack district received the highest rainfall at 96 mm.