Bhubaneswar: The Regional Meteorological Centre forecast heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds across several districts of Odisha over the next three days.

Per the latest bulletin, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching speeds of 40–50 km/h, along with heavy rainfall, are likely to occur during the afternoon or evening in isolated places across Mayurbhanj, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts. An Orange Warning has been issued for these districts, valid until 8:30 AM on May 5.

A Yellow Warning has also been issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Keonjhar, Angul, and Dhenkanal districts, where thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at 30–40 km/h are expected at isolated locations.

For the forecast period from 8:30 AM on May 5 to 8:30 AM on May 6, the Met Centre anticipates more severe weather, with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds at 50–60 km/h, heavy rain, and hailstorms likely in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, and Gajapati districts. An Orange Warning has also been issued for these areas.

Further, thunderstorms with lightning and wind speeds of 40–50 km/h are expected in the afternoon or evening at isolated places in Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts. These areas are under a Yellow Warning.

The same warning applies to Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, and Bhadrak, where similar conditions are expected in the coming days.

The Met Centre also cautioned strong winds may damage plantations, horticultural fields, and standing crops in districts under Orange Warning. Minor damage may occur to banana trees, ripe paddy crops, unsecured structures, and kutcha houses, along with partial damage to vulnerable buildings.

A north-south trough currently extends from a cyclonic circulation over the northern parts of Gangetic West Bengal to north coastal Andhra Pradesh, passing through coastal Odisha at around 0.9 km above mean sea level, contributing to the unstable weather conditions.