Officials reported that at least three people lost their lives due to lightning strikes and thunderstorms in Odisha within the last 24 hours. Strong winds, thunderstorms, and lightning impacted the Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Angul districts on Wednesday afternoon and evening, according to a representative from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office. In total, 94 houses were reported damaged across these districts.
Additionally, on May 25, a storm in Rourkela city, located in Sundargarh district, caused damage to 168 houses. Several trees were uprooted, prompting the deployment of an ODRAF team and Fire Service personnel for restoration efforts. Local authorities have provided polythene sheets to families whose homes were affected.
On Thursday, residents in Rourkela staged a road blockade due to the lack of power restoration in the impacted areas, although the protest was lifted following intervention from local administration. In Bonai town, also in Sundargarh district, a nor’wester uprooted numerous trees and caused damage to several houses and vehicles. Bonai sub-collector Ashok Das stated that an ODRAF team is currently clearing roads, and power restoration may take some time.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds across various regions of Odisha for the next six days. An orange warning has been issued for several districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, and others, for Friday. Heavy rainfall is also anticipated in Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh, and Sambalpur, which are under an orange warning. A yellow warning has been issued for additional districts including Jharsuguda, Bargarh, and others.
The IMD has also cautioned about hot and humid conditions in parts of coastal and southern Odisha, advising residents to seek shelter during thunderstorms and adhere to safety guidelines, particularly concerning lightning and urban traffic. On Thursday, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius in 12 locations across the state, with Bolangir recording the highest at 43.2 degrees Celsius, followed closely by Sambalpur at 43.1 and Titlagarh at 43 degrees Celsius.
