Bhubaneswar, Mar 5: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in several districts of Odisha beginning March 8. The alert comes even as dry weather conditions are expected to prevail across the state over the next few days.

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

The warning is expected to extend to more districts on March 9, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.

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

Despite the forecasted thunderstorm activity, dry weather will likely continue until March 7, with shallow to moderate fog in some coastal districts during early mornings. The highest temperature recorded was 39.6°C at Jharsuguda, while Rourkela reported the lowest minimum temperature at 13.2°C.

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