Yellow Warning Issued For Rain, Thunderstorm In 14 Odisha Districts

Bhubaneswar: The regional branch of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here on Tuesday issued a yellow warning for rain and thunderstorm accompanied by lightning at various places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Cuttack districts. These districts are likely to experience light to moderate rain during the next four days.

According to the MeT office, more rain is expected to lash Odisha due to the western disturbance from March 24 to 28.

Gusty winds will blow at a speed of 50 kmph to 60 kmph. However, the effect of the westerly winds will decrease from today. Most of the districts of south and north Odisha, including coastal areas of the state are likely to receive light to moderate rains. The day temperature is likely to rise from Wednesday and remain at 3°C to 4°C above normal.

Various places of the state, including the capital city of Bhubaneswar, Khurdha, Cuttack, Balasore, and Bolangir, experienced hailstorms along with rain on Monday.

Meanwhile, rain and thundershowers accompanied by hailstorms in some places ravaged the standing crops in Bhadrak, Rayada and Kalahandi districts. The damage was the maximum in the Kashipur block of Rayagada where vegetable crops like corn, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, coriander etc. The crops were ready for harvesting, but the Nor’wester dealt a heavy blow to the aspirations of the farmers.

The plight of farmers in the Kokasara block of Kalahandi district is similar to those in Kashipur as hailstorms caused extensive damage to the crops here. Onion farmers are the worst affected as they fear that their produces have started rotting in the wet soil.

Tracts of farmlands in Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district are still under water. The torrential rains have left the farmers staring at huge losses as they struggle with the wilt disease in the crops due to the unseasonal rain.