Bhubaneswar, Feb 20: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather alert for 25 districts in Odisha, warning of heavy thunderstorms and hailstorms on February 21.

An Orange Alert has been issued for eight districts, predicting thunderstorms with lightning, gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph, and hailstorms. The affected districts are Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Angul.
A Yellow Alert has been issued for 17 districts, forecasting moderate rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms. These districts include Bargarh, Boudh, Cuttack, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Kendrapara, Khordha, Koraput, Malkangiri, Puri, Rayagada, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, and Nayagarh.

The IMD has also warned of wind speeds between 30-40 kmph in these areas and urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel during the storms.

According to meteorologists, a trough extending from north Bangladesh to Telangana, passing through Gangetic West Bengal, interior Odisha, and south Chhattisgarh, is responsible for the adverse weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the IMD has advised farmers to use hail nets to protect crops and vegetables. Residents have also been urged to follow traffic advisories in urban areas and take necessary precautions.

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