Odisha Braces for Thunderstorms, Hail from April 26: IMD

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast for an upcoming spell of thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hailstorms in Odisha starting April 26, bringing potential relief from the ongoing heatwave conditions across the state.

According to the IMD, the weather system is expected to impact several districts through April 30, with varying intensity of rainfall, gusty winds, lightning, and hail. Multiple districts have been placed under Orange Warning over the next few days, signaling the likelihood of severe weather conditions.

Day-Wise Forecast

April 26 (Saturday):

Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph are expected at isolated places in Malkangiri, Ganjam, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj districts during the afternoon and evening hours.

April 27 (Sunday):

A more intense weather pattern is likely to develop, with gusty winds up to 50–60 kmph and hailstorms expected in Koraput, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, and Bhadrak. An Orange Warning has been issued for these areas.

Additionally, a broader region including Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nabarangapur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, and Deogarh may also witness thunderstorms with wind speeds of 30–40 kmph.

April 28 (Monday):

The severe weather is likely to continue, with thunderstorms, hail, and heavy rainfall predicted in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Angul, Ganjam, Jajpur, Sundargarh, and Balasore. The IMD has again placed these districts under an Orange Warning.

A wider zone covering Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawarangapur, Kalahandi, Boudh, Sonepur, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, and Sambalpur could experience thunderstorms with wind speeds of 30–40 kmph.

April 29 (Tuesday):

Heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and winds reaching up to 60 kmph are likely to affect Nayagarh, Khurda, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, and Cuttack, prompting another Orange Warning.

Meanwhile, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Nayagarh, and Gajapati are expected to witness thunderstorms with wind speeds of 40–50 kmph.

Relief from Heatwave

The IMD has stated that this weather activity will help bring down the temperatures in many parts of the state, providing much-needed relief from the persistent heatwave conditions. However, people are advised to stay alert and take necessary precautions during the thunderstorm and hailstorm events.

Residents in affected districts are urged to follow local weather updates and heed safety advisories issued by the authorities.