Bhubaneswar, June 19: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Warning for nine districts of Odisha for June 20 and 21, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph at one or two places.

The districts under Orange Alert are Balasore, Bhadrak, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Gajapati. Residents in these areas have been advised to remain alert, avoid open spaces during thunderstorms and take necessary precautions against lightning and strong winds.

In addition, the IMD has issued a Yellow Warning for 21 districts, including Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangapur, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh. These districts are likely to experience thunderstorms with lightning and winds reaching 40-50 kmph.

The weather agency has also forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, particularly during afternoon and evening hours.

The IMD has urged people to monitor weather updates and follow safety advisories as unstable weather conditions are expected to persist across several parts of the state over the next two days.

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