IMD Issues Yellow Warning for Thunderstorms in Several Odisha Districts from March 8

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in several districts of Odisha starting March 8, even as dry weather conditions are expected to continue across the state for the next few days.

According to the Midday Weather Bulletin released by the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, thunderstorms with lightning and gusty surface winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph are likely to occur at isolated places in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts on March 8.

The thunderstorm activity is expected to expand to more districts on March 9. Similar weather conditions are likely at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.

Weather experts attributed the change in conditions to an upper air cyclonic circulation over north Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, along with a trough extending from central Uttar Pradesh to the system across parts of central and eastern India.

Despite the forecast of thunderstorms next week, dry weather is likely to prevail across the state until March 7. The IMD has also predicted shallow to moderate fog in some coastal districts during the early morning hours during this period.

The bulletin noted that temperatures remain above normal in several interior districts of the state. On Thursday, the highest maximum temperature recorded in Odisha was 39.6°C at Jharsuguda, while the lowest minimum temperature was 13.2°C at Rourkela.

For Bhubaneswar and adjoining areas, moderate fog is likely during the early morning hours, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 37°C and the minimum temperature around 22°C over the next 24 hours.

The IMD further stated that no significant change in maximum temperature is expected over the next five days, though temperatures may rise by 2–3°C across the state thereafter.