Kalbaisakhi, rain alert issued for five Odisha districts along with Bhubaneswar and Cuttack

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Saturday, issued a short-term weather alert for five coastal districts of Odisha: Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Khordha, and Cuttack,  warning of impending Kalbaisakhi (Nor’wester) conditions within the next two hours.

The alert also stated that the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are also expected to experience thunderstorm activity with lightning and gusty winds.

Changing Weather Pattern in Odisha

The Kalbaisakhi warning comes as Odisha continues to experience sharply divided weather conditions.

While the western parts of the state, such as Sambalpur, Bolangir, and Nuapada, are reeling under intense heat with temperatures nearing 42°C, the coastal and central belts have been witnessing humidity since the start of this month.

In the last few days, several areas reported thunderstorm activity, offering brief respite from the heat. Districts like Bhadrak, Puri, and Kendrapara recorded light rainfall, accompanied by lightning and squally winds. These patterns are expected to continue intermittently as the region approaches the onset of the southwest monsoon.

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Monsoon Developments

The IMD has projected that the southwest monsoon is likely to advance into the south Andaman Sea and adjoining Bay of Bengal around May 27, with early reports predicting that the advancement may happen as early as within the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure circulation in the Arabian Sea holds potential for turning into a depression or a cyclonic circulation. While no reports have forecasted this intensification so far, the circulation has helped with the onset of monsoon.