At least three persons were killed in thunderstorms and lightning strikes across the state over the last 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.
Strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning battered the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Angul between Wednesday afternoon and evening, resulting in the three fatalities, an official of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said.
In total, the severe weather left 94 homes damaged across the three hit districts.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, a violent storm tore through Rourkela city in Sundargarh district on May 25, damaging 168 houses. Several trees were uprooted, following which an ODRAF team and Fire Service personnel were deployed for restoration work, officials said.
Local authorities have stepped in to distribute temporary polythene tarps to the displaced families whose properties were ruined, officials added.
Frustrated by prolonged blackouts, Rourkela residents organized a road blockade on Thursday to protest the delayed restoration of electricity in the storm-damaged neighbourhoods. The demonstration wrapped up after local administrative officials stepped in to pacify the crowd with assurances of speedy repairs.
In Sundargarh district’s Bonai town, a nor’wester uprooted several trees and damaged a number of houses and vehicles.
Bonai sub-collector Ashok Das said an ODRAF team has started clearing roads, while restoration of power supply may take some time, Das said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued forecast predicting continued thunderstorms, dangerous lightning, and high-velocity winds across various regions of Odisha over the coming six days.
An orange alert, urging residents to be prepared for disruptive weather, has been declared for Friday across the districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj.
Heavy rainfall is also likely to occur in Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh and Sambalpur, which have been placed under orange warning.
A yellow warning has been issued for Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nawrangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, and Nayagarh districts.
The IMD also warned of hot and humid conditions in parts of coastal and southern Odisha. It advised people to take shelter during thunderstorms and follow safety advisories, especially regarding lightning and urban traffic movement.
On Thursday, 12 places in the state recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above, with Bolangir being the hottest at 43.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Sambalpur at 43.1 and Titlagarh at 43 degrees Celsius.
