On the other hand, six out of seven Saptarshi statues installed at 'Mahakal Lok' corridor in Ujjain collapsed as a thunderstorm, with high speed winds, measured at 65 kmph, hit Madhya Pradesh's Malwa region on Sunday.
As per the official statement issued on Sunday night, two of the statues had got damaged. At the time when the statues fell, score of devotees were present in the Mahakal corridor, however, no injuries were reported so far. Sources also said that after the collapse of the huge statues, entry of the devotees was banned in the premises.
The 'Mahakal Lok' corridor project, worth Rs 856 crore (total expenditure of two phase project) was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2022. The second phase of the project will be completed by 2024, according to the Madhya Pradesh government.
The state Congress leadership has raised questions on the collapse of the statues and accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government of corruption in developing Mahakal Lok corridor and has demanded a probe in the matter.
The opposition party has set up a seven members panel of senior party leaders to bring out the truth behind the collapse of statues within a year of their unveiling. This includes five MLAs - Sajjan Singh Verma, Ramlal Malviya, Dilip Gurjar, Mahesh Parmar, and Murli Morwal and two members from the state media and communication department- Shobha Oza and K. K. Mishra.
According to Congress state General Secretary, Organisation, Rajiv Singh, the panel will visit 'Mahakal Lok' corridor to assess the damage caused by thunderstorm and high speed wind and will submit its findings to state unit chief Kamal Nath within next one week.
Chief Minister Chouhan, who was in New Delhi to attend the inaugural session of new Parliament building on Sunday, responded to the Congress accusations saying he has reviewed the situation with Ujjain District Collector and was informed that two statues got totally damaged after falling on ground due to high speed winds.
He said that all six statues of 'Saptarshis' which fell onto the ground will be replaced with new ones and went on to accuse the Congress of plying politics on the matter.
"Due to thunderstorm and high speed wind, two people died and three got injured in Ujjain. However, the Congress is seeing this unfortunate incident as an opportunity of doing politics. They (Congress) making false accusations without any facts and trying to mislead the people. All six statues will be replaced with new one under the defect liability period," Chouhan said, as per a statement issued by his office.
Spread over a 900-metre-long area, 'Mahakal Lok' corridor was built as one of the largest such corridors in the country. It is surround by the old Rudrasagar Lake which has also been revived as part of the redevelopment project around the famous Mahakaleshwar temple.
Moreover, several families have been rendered homeless after their dwelling houses were damaged after heavy rain lashed on Saturday night under the influence of western disturbance.
According to sources, a couple along with their baby girl was asleep after dinner last night at Metaguda village under Padia block in Malkangiri district. Meanwhile, the district received heavy rainfall along with hailstone showers following which a portion of their house collapsed.
The girl died on the spot while her parents sustained critical injuries in the mishap. They have been admitted to the local hospital and their condition is said to be critical.
Similarly, a youth was killed while two others have been injured after being struck by lightning at Basudevpur in Bhadrak district. The deceased has been identified as Kartik Majhi.
The three friends were sleeping inside a house when lightning struck them. Family members rescued them in critical condition and rushed them to the local community health center (CHC). However, doctors declared Kartik brought dead.
The two other injured have been referred to Cuttack-based SCB Medical College and Hospital for further treatment after their condition deteriorated.
In another incident, a Class VI girl was killed after being struck by lightning at Ramkrushnapur village under Simulia police limits in Balasore district. The little girl was playing near the house when lightning struck her. She was admitted to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) where she died while undergoing treatment.
On the other hand, several houses were destroyed in the devastating rainfall in different parts of the Koraput district. Many thatched and asbestos houses were blown away in the gusty wind. Many families have been rendered homeless and are currently seeking refuge at shelter homes and other alternative arrangements.
Furthermore, several houses have been flooded and are underwater in Sunabeda's low-lying areas. Normal life has been severely paralyzed in both Malkangiri and Koraput as rainfall continues to wreak havoc in both districts.
Meanwhile, the torrential rain has brought heavy losses for farmers after standing crops and vegetables on acres of land were damaged at Brahmagiri in the Puri district. Agricultural fields have been flooded with knee-deep water. Farmers are now a worried lot as the rainfall continued on Sunday as well.
Meanwhile, IMD has issued a yellow warning for 17 districts that are expected to experience heavy rain and thunderstorm activities today.
Following sweltering heat over the last few days, different places in North, West and South Odisha witnessed intense to moderate thunderstorm activity. People in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bolangir, Sambalpur and Rayagada got a respite from the heat.
However, normal life was affected by the intense thunderstorm activity in some parts of the state. In a tragic incident, 13 cows died in a lightning strike at Pratappur village under Ajodhya Gram Panchayat in Nilagiri. As per reports, as many as 25 cattle had taken shelter under a dilapidated house during the storm. At least 13 of those died due to lightning during the thunderstorm.
Kalyanasinghpur in Rayagada and Balasore witnessed heavy rainfall along with hailstone showers. Few asbestos roofs were blown away due to the gusty wind in Kashipur area and two women were injured in the process. The injured women were admitted to the nearby hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has issued yellow warning to 17 districts which are expected to experience heavy rain and thunderstorm activity tomorrow.
Titilagarh on Friday recorded the highest maximum temperature of 45 degrees. Apart from Titlagarh, Bolangir district recorded maximum temperature of 44.9, Boudh 44.5, Sambalpur 44.4, Sonepur 44.3 and Jharsuguda recorded 44.2 degree Celisus yesterday.
As per India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar, the maximum temperature is likely to hover between 42 to 44 degrees and there will be no major change in the day temperature in the next four to five days.
The maximum temperature in some parts of the State is likely to remain above normal by 2 to 3 degrees, informed Regional Met Centre director, HR Biswas.
Despite the heat conditions, the IMD has also predicted thunderstorm activities in several parts of the State. Meanwhile, normal life was adversely hit after thunderstorm hit Mohana area in Gajapati district yesterday.
There are reports of extensive damage and incidents of tree uprooting in several parts of the block under the influence of strong and gusty winds. The vehicular movement on National Highway no 312 was also affected for quite some time. The situation was brought to normalcy after the Odisha Fire Services personnel reached the spot and cleared the road.
As per the recently released Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India -2022 by IMD, Odisha has been ranked as the top state that is the most vulnerable state for lightning in the country. The State topped the lightning chart because a high of 20 districts is affected in the State. The State has only 30 districts.
'Lightning Map' Of Odisha
A glance at the IMD Atlas reveals that Sundargarh in Odisha tops the chart by virtue of having the highest number of lightning days in the country.
As per the report, the total number of lightning days annual during the Period from 1969 to 2019 in Sundargarh has been estimated at a whopping 508. It is followed by Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Cuttack and Ganjam. (see the below ).
Lightning Vs Thunderstorms
If the IMD's Atlas is to be believed, Odisha is the top state affected by lightning in the country. When it comes to thunderstorms, the top weather agency of the country didn't count any of the districts in the State as high to very highly vulnerable to thunderstorms.
As per the IMD report, nearly 60 districts and over 10 crore population in the country are vulnerable to this extreme weather event. But not a single Odisha district has made it into the highly vulnerable list of districts in the country.
The State Wise Tally Given Below.
Lightning Vs Thunderstorms
The country's top weather agency in its report has said the following.
Lightning: Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground or within the clouds themselves.
Thunderstorm: A thunderstorm is a type of storm with lightning and thunder.
The key takeaway, therefore, here is thunder and lightning accompanied by stormy wind are called thunderstorms, whereas lightning is a weather event that takes place without stormy wind.
Earlier, this year releasing it's Annual Climate Summary - 2021, IMD had said Odisha had massive 213 deaths due to lightning. In contrast, the State saw only 4 deaths due to the cyclonic storms in 2021. The State has topped the country in lightning deaths in 2021.
For this high toll in lightning, Odisha has been ranked second after Maharashtra in human toll due to natural disasters.
However, due to the penetration of the easterly moist air into the State, there are chances of rainfall activity in the next 3-4 days.
Meanwhile, for the next 24 hours, the MeT Centre has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a few places over the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and at a few places over the rest districts of Odisha.
Video Editor: Surendra Pradhan
Producer: Diptyranjita Patra
Heavy rain has also been forecast over isolated places of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Dhenkanal districts in the next 24 hours.
“Due to monsoon troughs and flows, many places in north Odisha and a few places in the south will experience rain. While north Odisha will experience thunderstorms, lightning and rainfall, a few places in southern Odisha will see only rain and thunderstorm,” stated HR Biswas, director of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological centre.
However, the intensity of rain will come down after 24 hours, he added.
As per met office sources, a low pressure is likely to form over north Bay of Bengal on August 19 triggering rain across the State. “Due to this climatic condition, there might be a slight increase in rainfall across Odisha from August 20,” Biswas added.
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There is deficit rainfall in Bolangir and Deogarh districts whereas rest of the State have received above normal rain in the past few days, the Meteorological Centre said.
Sources said a cyclonic circulation could turn into a low pressure system on the Central and North western Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal inducing heavy rainfall at several places of the state from September 18 onwards.
The regional meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar has forecast light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorm in 13 districts of north and interior Odisha today.
As per the latest forecast, the alert has been issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Ganjam, Gajapati and Nayagarh districts.
Till now, Odisha has already recorded 16 percent surplus rain this monsoon season.
As per the latest bulletin of the met department, the alert has been issued for Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Anugul, Sambalpur, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Kandhamal, Sundergarh, Doegarh districts.
Some districts will also experience heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, the met department stated in its release.
As per the met department, moderate to severe thunderstorm accompanied with lightening, intense rainfall and strong surface wind very likely to occur at these districts till 2 pm.
People in these districts have been advised to be alert and take shelter in safe places and avoid venturing out till 2 pm.
Earlier the warning was issued for the above districts till 11:45 am.
Also Read: Cyclone Titli: Heavy rain cripples normal life across Odisha
Meanwhile, heavy rain continues to lash Odisha under the impact of cyclonic storm Titli throwing normal life out of gear.
Situation is critical in Ganjam, Gajapati and Balasore districts as several rivers have started to swell due to the incessant rain.
Low lying areas in most of the districts including the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar remained waterlogged due to the heavy rain triggered by the cyclonic storm Titli.
From roads, to houses to agricultural fields, the entire area was covered with hailstones.
“It was just like snowfall as the entire region felt as if covered in white snow during the storm that lasted for nearly half an hour today,” said a local resident.
Pramila Sahu, another local resident said, “We had not witnessed such type of phenomenon and the hailstorm created an impression of snowfall here.”
Sahu further claimed that though rain and hailstorms provided much needed relief from the scorching heat, it has also created problems for the farmers as crops in several hectares of land have been damaged.
According to sources, it left behind a trail of destruction with several asbestos roofs bearing the brunt of the hailstones.
According to sources, seven persons were killed in Balasore while five more deaths were reported from Mayurbhanj and Khurda districts.
In Balasore, two persons of Barunagadia panchayat under Basta block were killed by lightning strike while working in a nearby field. Similarly, a youth succumbed to the injuries after being struck by lightning in Jaleswar block Sikharpur Mahulia village youth killed.
An elderly woman was killed in Singakhunta under Soro block while a girl from Srijanga village here was also injured; a girl student of Churuni Padmalochan High School has also sustained injuries due to lightning strike.
In Mayurbhanj, one person was killed while working in his farmland in Chunadiha village under Khunta police limits of Udala. Elsewhere, one succumbed to the injuries in Bada salagaon village under Baisinga block, and another person died in Maheswarpur village after lightning struck him.
In Khurda district, lightning claimed life of one person while two others got injured in Manikpur under Bolagarh block of the district.
According to official sources, lightning strikes animals and humans when they are mostly under a tree or shelter, due to electrical conductivity and earthing.
Meanwhile, the low pressure which was lying in North-West Bay of Bengal on Thursday has turned into a well-marked low pressure on North-West Bay adjoining Odisha and West Bengal coasts, Met officials informed.
"The low pressure is likely to intensify into a depression in the next 48 hours. Due to its effect, most places of Odisha will get light to moderate rainfall and heavy to very heavy rainfall in South Odisha has been predicted," said HR Biswas, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre.
Two women were killed, while 11 others including 9 women were injured in lightning strikes at two separate places in Ganjam and Nabarangpur districts.
According to sources, lightning claimed two lives and injured nine women while they were working on a farm near Mahaguda village in Bhanjanagar of Ganjam district. A woman and her daughter were also severely injured after a lightning struck them on a field near Rajamatu under Papadahandi block in Nabarangpur district.
In Rayagada, the heavy downpour brought life to standstill and left many villages in Bissamcuttack block marooned. Rainwater forced hundreds of villagers of Paikadakuluguda and Thuapadi panchayats to take shelter in dry places. Communication was cut off with flood water flowing 4 feet above the Bhejipadar-Kanijodi Bridge.
As per reports, the incessant rains destroyed crops, roads and damaged houses in Muniguda, Chandrapura and Bisamcuttack blocks. Locals rued that the administration remained indifferent despite repeated demands for repair of roads, leading to worsening of the condition of roads.
Meanwhile the Kalyani River has been swelling inundating several villages in Kalyansinghpur panchayat. As many as 25 families of the panchayat had to be shifted to safer places after the flood water entered the villages.
While the thunderstorm left a trail of destruction in Sadar block of Nuapada district, the sudden burst of shower and gusty winds left many trees and electric pole uprooted at Gurujibhatta village. No reports of casualties have been reported.
Similarly, in Polsara block of Ganjam district, flood water from Dhanei River entered the Banthapalli panchayat. As many as 25 families were shifted to a nearby school. In Kabisuryanagar area of the district, flood water was reportedly flowing above the Baghua Bridge leading to disruption in communication between Berhampur and Budhambaru.
Meanwhile, with the low pressure turning into a well-marked low pressure system today, the local meteorological department has issued an alert forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in several parts of the State in next 24 hours
While several northern and southern pockets of the state are likely to receive heavy rainfall, some places of the coastal Odisha will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in next 24 hours, weathermen said.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture out into sea, an official release from the local meteorological centre said.
Under its impact, rains and thundershowers are likely to occur at the coastal parts of the State in the next 24 hours while other places in Northern region and interior areas of the State will receive heavy rainfall on July 9 and 10, the Met predicted.
“Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at places over the coastal region during the next 24 hours while most places over north and interior Odisha will receive heavy to heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours,” the MeT office here said.
According to reports, on July 6, the average rainfall recorded in the State was 1.3 mm. The highest rainfall of 12.88 mm was recorded in Malkangiri followed by 12.33 mm in Balasore.
Reports further claimed that the State has witnessed 30 percent deficit rainfall in the month of June this year as compared to the 2 percent deficit rain registered in June 2017.
The mishap occurred when the boat carrying 16 tourists from Ranapur area of Nayagarh district including the boatman were returning from Kalijai to Balugaon at around 5:30 pm today.
According to reports, the boat capsized under the impact of strong winds during a thunderstorm that lashed the region this evening.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over death of a child in the boat accident in Chilika. Patnaik also directed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Khurda and Ganjam district administration to work in coordination to expedite rescue operation.
"The boat ferrying passengers should have left the place before 5 pm. However, people usually do not listen to such directives," said Sasmita Lenka, additional chief executive, Chilika Development Authority (CDA).
Official sources said a massive rescue operation was launched by locals and fire services personnel following the boat tragedy.
All the 12 persons who were rescued following the mishap were first admitted to Balugaon hospital. Later two were shifted to Capital hospital in Bhubaneswar after their condition deteriorated.
"Rescue operations are still going on. Around 30-40 personnel are involved in the entire operation. We immediately swung into action after getting information about the mishap at around 6 pm," said Balugaon fire officer, Nityanada Jena.
Jena further informed that body of one out of three missing persons was fished out from Chilika lake while efforts are on to trace others.
Informing about the development, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi stated that the agreement with the US-basd firm will be signed this week.
The firm will start the process of installation of lightning sensors with the available equipment at the earliest so that updates of possible lightning strikes can be known at least an hour in advance.
The crucial information can then be disseminated through various social media platforms, television so that people can be alerted if they are in the lightning strike zone or not. This can help people to move to safer places.
"There are plans to send lightning strike warning and alert through SMSes in subsequent phase as developing an application will take some time," Sethi said.
The SRC further informed that lightning sensors will be installed at prominent places across the State. Efforts will also be initiated to install lightning arrestors in high rise buildings and shelter centers.
A scientific survey will be conducted for the installation of lightning sensors as well.
As per long-term strategy to minimize the loss of human life and property due to lightning, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) has already instructed forest officers for conducting plantation drives of palm trees.
Official sources said, as lightning usually hits the tallest object first, palm tree will work as a conductor which can reduce the number of deaths.
(Photo source: The Independent)
A woman was killed when lightning struck her at Badadwar village in Nayagarh, while six persons of Kankadasada village sustained injuries in lightning strike while they were collecting Tolla in the nearby Similpal forest in Dhenkanal district. One other person was also injured in lightning at Jalada village in the district.
All the injured were admitted to Parjang hospital where they are undergoing treatment.
Sources said in last fortnight, as many as nine persons have been killed while 11 others injured in lightning incidents across the State.
Even as there is no let up in the number of lightning related deaths with the toll having already touched nearly 70 between April and May this year, the State government is mulling to introduce a special mobile application to provide advance information on lightning alert so that people can be warned to move to safer places, sources informed.
Odisha plans to collaborate with the US-based Earth Network to install lightning detection system in the state to reduce the toll. The mobile application will be developed to alert smartphone users if they are in a lightning zone while non smart phone users can also get the alerts through SMSs and calling on State Control room 1070 and District Control room 1077 to get help, special relief commissioner B P Sethi had said last week.
Lightning is the biggest killer among all the natural disasters in the State and continues to claim more than 400 human lives on an average per year.
Meanwhile, several parts of Odisha experienced heavy pre-monsoon showers on Saturday. The local Bhubaneswar Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD forecast that the intensity of the rainfall likely to increase from June 5.
The districts- Malkangiri, Balasore, Koraput, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj will be witnessing pre-monsoon rains while rain triggered by Nor'wester is also likely to hit several parts of the State.
The Bhubaneswar Regional Meteorological Centre officials informed that the temperature in several parts will register a sharp fall under the impact of rain triggered by thunderstorms mostly in north-coastal and interior pockets.
Thunderstorm alert has also been issued for Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Bhadrak for today.
Several parts of Odisha experienced heavy rainfall on Friday with Balasore recording as much as 42 mm followed by 27 mm in Talcher.
The amount of rainfall is also expected to register an increase from June 5 in several parts of coastal and north interior parts of the State.
Gusty surface wind speed will reach 45 km/hr to 65 km/hr during these hours, the forecast added.
As high tides are expected, fishermen in the state have been advised not to venture into sea.
"Nor'wester rains will mostly occur in afternoon or late evenings," stated Sarat Chandra Sahu, director of Regional Meteorological Centre adding that the southern parts will get more showers as compared to the north from May 25.
Maximum temperature will remain below 42 degrees Celsius in interior parts of the State whereas day temperature in coastal Odisha will hardly reach 40 degrees Celsius, Sahu added.
On Wednesday morning, heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms lashed most parts of the state including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar affecting traffic, rail and air services.
The met department said that the rainfall was caused due to formation of a cloud mass near the Odisha-West Bengal border that was gradually moving southwards.
“A cloud mass that had formed near Odisha-West Bengal border is moving towards the south triggering heavy rains in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. It is likely to move towards Puri first and then to the Bay of Bengal," informed IMD Bhubaneswar Director, Sarat Chandra Sahu.
"I faced a lot of problem since auto-rickshaws and other public transports remained off the roads due to strong wind and lightning," said Sulagna, a student.
"I came to open my shop in the morning and got totally drenched. However, the rain has been a great respite from the scorching sun," said a businessman in Cuttack.
The Regional Meteorological Department here issued a thunderstorm warning for 15 districts across Odisha and advised people to remain alert between 7.30 am to 11.30 am today.
In their latest forecast, the weathermen said that thunderstorm accompanied with hail and gusty surface wind reaching a speed of 50 to 60 kmph is likely to occur in Dhenkanal, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Sundergarh and Jharsuguda districts.
In a related development, one person was injured after lightening struck his house at Jhanajhana village under Hatadihi block in Keonjhar district. The injured has been rushed to a nearby hospital.As per the weather office, monsoon would hit Odisha in the second week of June.
Meanwhile, rail services from Bhubaneswar to Puri, Berhampur and Bhadrak were badly hit after electric wires snapped and signals stopped functioning due to the rains.
The Cuttack-Puri shuttle train was stopped midway after a CESU wire snapped near Lingaraj station. Passengers of the train waited for more than four hours for restoration of the services.The Angul-Puri Passenger train was stopped at Bhubaneswar station whereas both Tata-Kacheguda and Talcher-Puri trains were halted at Mancheswar.
While Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar Passenger was stopped at Barang, Puri-Cuttack was stopped at Retang, Palasa-Cuttack Passenger at Khurda and Secunderabad -Howrah Falaknuma Express at Tapanga. Similarly the Bengaluru-Bhubaneswar Express was stopped at Nirakarapur and the Puri- Santragachhi Passenger had to be halted at Delang.
The Puri-New Delhi Nandankanan Express is yet to depart from the Puri railway station, informed sources.Flight services to and fro Bhubaneswar Airport was also affected by the heavy rain and strong wind.The New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Vistara 785 flight was diverted to Kolkata due to bad weather, informed airport authorities.
As per the latest forecast, thunderstorm accompanied with hail and gusty surface wind reaching a speed of 50 to 60 kmph is likely to occur in Dhenkanal, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Sundergarh and Jharsuguda.
In a related development, a house was gutted in fire while one person was left critically injured after lightening struck him at Jhanajhana village under Hatadihi block in Keonjhar district. The injured has been rushed to a nearby hospital.
A cloud mass had formed near Odisha-West Bengal border yesterday. It is now moving towards the south triggering rains in those parts.
---IMD Bhubaneswar Director, Sarat Chandra Sahu
"The cloud mass has already travelled through Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar and is now moving towards south due to which Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been witnessing heavy rains since morning. The cloud mass is likely to move towards Puri now and then to the Bay of Bengal," said Sahu.
"I have been facing a lot of problems since morning due to the rains. Regular commuters like me are left in lurch since auto-rickshaws and other public transports have remained off the roads due to strong wind and lightning," said a student.
"I came to open my shop in the morning and got totally drenched. However, the rain has been a great respite from the scorching sun," said a businessman in Cuttack.
On the other hand, mercury levels crossed the mark of 40 degree Celsius at five places in the State on Tuesday. Bolangir recorded the highest temperature at 42 degree Celsius. As per the weather office, monsoon would hit Odisha in the second week of June.
Out of the total casualties, 47 persons have been killed in lightning while four people died in Nor'wester rain.
At least six lightning deaths were reported on a single day from Bargarh, Cuttack, Khurda, Kendrapara and Puri districts yesterday.
Mohanty further informed that standing crops in nearly 28,899 hectare land in six districts- Bargarh, Subarnapur, Malkangiri, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal have been damaged.
Crops in nearly 923 hectare in Subarnapur have sustained massive damages.
Moreover, 561 houses have been damaged in seven districts due to thunderstorm since April, informed sources.
"We have already provided agriculture input subsidy and house building assistance based on the preliminary reports submitted by collectors of affected districts," said Mohanty.
As per the regional Met department, Jharsuguda was the hottest place in Odisha with a maximum temperature of 44.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Hirakud with 44.1 deg C, Sambalpur 43.6 deg C, Bolangir 43.5 deg C, Talcher 43.1 deg C, Angul 42.7 deg C, Sundergarh 42.5 deg C and Bhawanipatna 42 deg C.
Bhubaneswar and neighbouring Cuttack city recorded maximum temperatures of 37.3 degree Celsius and 37.5 degree Celsius respectively on Tuesday.
A report of the Special Relief Commissioner claimed that 16 people allegedly have died so far this year in Odisha due to sunstroke. Of these, sunstroke has been ruled out in two cases, while probe is underway in the rest 14 cases, the control room of SRC added.
"We have no other option. To survive in this heat, we are covering our faces and carrying a water bottle whereever we go,” a local of Titlagarh said.
“The temperature had reduced for some days due to the Nor'wester. It has risen now. People are mostly dependent upon watermelon and cold water and cold drinks. Shops also remain closed due to the excess heat," said a Boudh resident.
Meanwhile, the Met department has forecast heavy rain along with hailstorms in the coastal areas along with Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj till May 11.
Sarat Chandra Sahu, director of IMD's Bhubaneswar centre, said, "As per the forecast, many parts of northern Odisha are likely to experience Nor'wester rains while in some areas of Southern Odisha, there may be light showers. The temperature is also likely to drop slightly from tomorrow. From May 14, we are expecting temperatures to stay below 40 degrees Celcius in the state.”
Last night, a dangerous dust storm with wind speed of above 100 kmph had hit Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan followed by a squall following which schools in Delhi and Haryana have remained shut.
Prior to that, a deadly dust and thunderstorm that had swept several parts of the northern plains last week, claimed around 124 lives and left over 300 others injured in five states.
Signalling that the uncertain weather phenomenon over northern India has moved eastward, the India Meteorological Department has warned that thunderstorm and squall with wind speed of up to 70 kmph are very likely in Uttarakhand and parts of eastern India including Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday.
In an advisory, the IMD said a similar weather pattern is likely to be witnessed in Odisha, West Bengal, and in six of the seven north-eastern states except Mizoram. The IMD said south-interior Karnataka, north-coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema region of the state, Tamil Nadu and Kerala will also witness thunderstorm with gusty winds tomorrow.
The National Disaster Management Authority also informed that thunderstorm and squall are likely to hit 20 states including Odisha on Wednesday.
“The thunderstorm activity will continue in the seven North-Eastern states, and Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal in the East, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and South-Coastal Karnataka and South Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh,” said KJ Ramesh, DG, IMD.
According to sources, while roofs of most houses in the area have been completely blown away, rain has damaged harvested crops stored inside houses.
Gusty winds have also uprooted many trees and battered standing crops.
The district administration has set up a team to estimate the extent of damage so that compensation will be given to the affected villagers, informed sources. District administration officials said if required cooked food will be given to Bonda Ghati residents.
The home ministry spokesperson said a fresh warning has been issued about possible thunderstorms accompanied with squall which may hit four states- West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh -today.
Thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha, northwest Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala are very likely to experience thunderstorm along with gusty winds.
Heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Kerala, while dust storm and thunderstorm are very likely at isolated places over Rajasthan.
The home ministry has also issued an advisory for tomorrow saying thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely at isolated places in Uttarakhand, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.
Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is very likely to occur at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and gangetic West Bengal.
Heavy rain is very likely at isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. Dust storms are very likely at isolated places in Rajasthan, an official said.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Department in Bhubaneswar has issued thunderstorm alert for seven districts -Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Angul - till 9:30 pm today.
As per the latest forecast, the alert has been issued for Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar and Angul districts, while people here have been advised to take shelter in safe places and avoid venturing out till 8.15 pm.
This apart, official sources said lightning and thunderstorm accompanied with hail and gusty surface wind reaching up to a speed of 50 to 60 kmph will occur in these districts.
“Excluding one or two places, day temperatures will fall across the state. Similar weather conditions will continue till May 4,” said an official of Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.
Subsequently, the temperature is expected to increase from May 5, the official added.
Five labourers were caught in the storm and were struck by lightning when they were on their way to Tetelpara from Kotamer village in the district. One of them died on the spot while others were then rushed to hospital.
Similarly, Nor'wester also wrecked havoc in several parts of Nilagiri in Balasore.
The Regional Meteorological Department issued a thunderstorm warning for four districts including Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Rayagada between 8: 30 and 10: 30 PM today.
As per latest reports, people have been asked to remain alert as strong and gusty winds reaching up to speed of 50 to 60 km/hr are likely to prevail over the districts.
As per a bulletin issued by the meteorological department, lightning and thunderstorm accompanied with hailstone showers and gusty surface wind are likely to occur at Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Rayagada, Koraput, Gajapati, Angul, Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts between 3.45 pm and 7.45 pm.
Official sources said strong winds with speed reaching up to 50 to 60 kmph is likely to be experienced in these districts. The Met department has advised people in these areas to stay indoors during these hours.
It is to be noted that the Meteorological department had earlier informed that thunderstorms will hit several parts of interior Odisha between April 8 and 11.
As per the latest forecast of Regional Meteorological Center in Bhubaneswar, there will be marginal drop in temperature as Nor'wester rains accompanied with hailstorm will lash several parts of Coastal districts in the afternoon.
The intensity of rain will register an increase from April 7 and 8 in Coastal districts and hailstorm accompanied with gusty winds reaching a speed up to 50 to 60 kmph will hit several parts of interior Odisha between April 8 and 11.
Also Read: Monsoon likely to be normal this year: Skymet
"There will be no change in pattern of temperature in Coastal districts which will experience more Nor'wester rains from April 7," said Director, Regional Meteorological Department, Sarat Sahu.
Sahu further informed that rain had lashed 10 districts including Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Puri yesterday which has considerably brought the mercury down today.
"Already there has been marginal drop in the day temperature today following the Nor'wester rains that lashed the city yesterday evening," said Pradip Kumar, a resident of Cuttack.
Keonjhar recorded a highest of 33.2 mm rainfall yesterday.
Director of the regional centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar SC Sahu said,"The well marked low pressure has concentrated into a depression, which was located around 370 km south-southeast of Puri."
He further said that the mild depression is likely to intensify into a deep depression and cross the Odisha coast between Puri and Chandbali by midnight today or tomorrow morning.
Under the impact of deep depression, rains and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in coastal Odisha as well as in the interior parts of the state in the next 24 hours, the MeT office said.
This apart, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places of south Odisha and heavy rainfall at some places in the northern districts of the state.
“Strong and gusty surface winds, reaching up to 65 kmph, from the north-easterly direction would blow along the Odisha coast. Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea,” a release from the MeT office said.
A man was killed as lightning struck when he was out with a herd of cattle at Kuninda village under Bhuban police limits. The deceased has been identified as Surendra Dehury, a resident of Garamia village under Sukinda tehsil in Jajpur district.
In another incident a man was critically injured during a lightning strike at Bhalukapatala village and was later admitted to Bhuban hospital.
In Jajpur, one person died in Bhuban village of Dharmasala block while one more was also killed due to lightning strike in Anandpur block of Keonjhar district.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, while Sundergarh, Sonepur, Deogarh, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Angul, Dhenkanal and Sambalpur may experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, it said.
The IMD has informed that moderate to heavy rainfall is expected at one or two places in these areas. Thunderstorms accompanied by gusty surface winds with speeds of 40-55 kmph are likely to prevail along and off the Odisha Coast.
As per IMD reports, a low pressure area has formed over north Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Bangladesh under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation. As a result of which thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is likely at few places across Odisha.
The sea condition would be moderate to rough along the coast, the MeT office said and has warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea till further update.
As per the latest reports, the alert has been issued for Rayagada, Koraput, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal districts.
People in these districts have been advised to take shelter in safe places and avoid venturing out till 5.30 pm.
Some districts will also experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, the met department stated in its release.
Meanwhile, the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre-Tropical Cyclones in New Delhi has issued a notification on the weather report and forecast for Odisha for the next seven days.
October 4- Heavy rain at isolated places very likely over Odisha.
October 5- Cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
October 6- Cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
October 7- Heavy rain at isolated places very likely over Odisha.
October 8- Cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
October 9- Generally cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
October 10- Generally cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm.
The warning has been issued for Keonjhar, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Bargarh and Sonepur districts.
As per satellite images of Doppler Weather Radar, thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rainfall are likely to occur at one or two places in these districts.
People in these districts have been advised to take shelter in nearby buildings or other safe locations between 1.15 pm and 5.15 pm.
Also Read: IMD predicts heavy rains in next 24 hours
Earlier on Friday, lightning had claimed lives of 11 persons at different places across Odisha.
In Bhadrak district, a youth was killed as lightning struck him at Jalamandua under Bhandaripokhari block while another person died and three were seriously injured at Radhanathapur under Basudevpur block.
A woman was also killed by lightning at Sirapur under Sora block of Balasore district while another person died near Bhimjor under Kolabira block of Jharsuguda district.
Similarly, a person was killed at Machhimura village under Sohela police limits of Bargarh district while another person was struck by lightning at Mahakalpara in Kendrapara district.
A person was killed while two others were injured in lightning strike at Bisra in Rourkela and another person was killed in Bhasma area in Sundergarh. A person from Anandpur area of Keonjhar was also seriously injured.
As many as 11 cattle have reportedly been killed in lightning at Kundapatna in Jajpur.
As per the IMD bulletin, the warning has been issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapra, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Dhenkanal, Rayagada, Ganjam, Angul and Gajapati.
Latest doppler weather radar and satellite images indicate that thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rainfall is likely to occur at these places.
The alert would remain in effect from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm today. People in these districts have been advised to take shelter in nearby buildings or other safety locations.
Heavy rainfall is also likely to occur in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Ganjam in the next 48 hours due to cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal, predicted the IMD.
Continuous heavy rainfall in north Odisha river catchments may occur during September 2-5 due to formation similar cyclonic circulation on September 1 that may last till September 5, it added.
The districts which have been put on alert are Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Deogarh, Cuttack, Puri, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput.
Thunderstorm with lightning likely to occur in the 14 districts, the IMD said in its bulletin advising the people in these areas to take shelter in nearby building or other safety locations.
Similarly in another warning, the IMD said that heavy rainfall was likely to occur in one or two places in south Odisha in the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, sources in the Meteorological Centre here said that rainfall has occured in the districts of Malkangiri, Balangir, Koraput, Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Jagatsinghpur, Angul, Khurda, and Balasore.
The incessant rains have led to rise in water level of major rivers including Poteru, Saberi and Sileru following which hundreds of acres of agricultural land have been damaged and several bridges submerged.
Road connectivity between Balimela and Malkangiri has been cut off as flood water is flowing 4ft above a bridge near MV-37.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) today forecast heavy rainfall coupled with gusty surface wind to batter several parts of the State due to a low pressure over Bay of Bengal that would make sea conditions rough.
Also Read: Cyclonic Storm To Trigger Heavy Rain In Odisha
The IMD warned that under the influence of the low pressure, rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in coastal districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours. Similarly, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over south Odisha, it said.
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According to sources, the districts likely to be hit by thunderstorm and lightning are Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Malkangiri and Gajapati.
It has also cautioned the people in these 18 districts to take shelter in nearby buildings or other safe locations.
Meanwhile, Meteorological Centre here said, rainfall occurred at a few places in Odisha with heavy rainfall at one or two places in north coastal Odisha.
While Kantapada in Cuttack district recorded 80 mm rainfall, Jajpur recorded 60 mm, Jenapur in Jajpur district 50 mm, Tigiria in Cuttack district, Boden in Nawapara district and Jhorigam in Nawarangpur district have received 40 mm rainfall each during the last 24 hours.
A statement from Met department issued an alert saying heavy thundershowers have been predicted for Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri districts, it said.
One or two places in interior Odisha are also likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours even though the cyclonic circulation developed over Bay of Bengal has moved towards North of Chhattisgarh.
Bhubaneswar Met department Director Sarat Chandra Sahu said rainfall continued in the state since last week due to an active south-west monsoon. Several places, which had received less rainfall compared to normal, would get good showers this month.
Rainfall in four districts namely Bolangir, Nuapada, Angul and Jajpur remained between 19 and 39 per cent deficient from that recorded between June 1 and July 3.
Dhenkanal is the only district where rainfall remained severely deficient, to the extent of a 40.8 per cent.
Heavy rainfall is likely to occur in one or two places in north Odisha during the next 48 hours," the IMD said in its bulletin.
It also said that thunderstorm with lightning is also likely to occur in one or two places in the next two days.
Meanwhile, IMD sources said rainfall has occurred at many places in interior part of the state and in a few places in the coastal areas with heavy rainfall in one or two places in the northern part of interior areas.
Barkote in Deogarh district received eight cm, Tentulikhunti in Nabarangpur district six cm, Ghatagaon in Keonjhargarh district six cm, Athmalik in Angul district five cm, Malkangiri four cm, Kantamal in Boudh district four cm and Chandikhol in Jajpur district four cm.
Rainfall report also came from different districts.
According to information, storm and thundershower pounded several parts of the district notably Ganchapara and Bobei GP where it ripped off roofs of around 70 houses.
Mango, cashew nut, Nilgiri trees were uprooted in large scale leading to disruption in transportation while vegetable farms also bore the brunt of torrential rains.
Power lines were also down after several electric poles were uprooted as well during the massive storm.
“I have never witnessed anything like this before in last 60 years of my life. The storm and rain was very severe and has led to lot of damage,” Pradip Sarkar, a local said.
Sources said Umerkote MLA Subash Gond visited the area and took stock of the matter.
Meanwhile, local administration has also assessed the damage and have assured of compensation. “We have estimated the amount of damage in the two GPs. A total of 70 houses were affected during the thunderstorm and as per partial damage relief code we will ensure compensation to the afflicted,” Runu Lakra, Raighar BDO told mediapersons.
The depression over eastcentral Bay of Bengal is very likely to move north-northeastwards and to intensify into a deep depression during next 12 hours. Met officials also said that it may turn into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours.
This may cause rainfall with thunder in the coastal stretch of the state along with high wind speeds varying between 50 to 60 kmph. Many parts of Keonjhar, Deogarh, Sundergarh and Sambalpur will also experience rain and thunderstorm.
In Kalahandi, two persons died and three others sustained critical injuries after they were hit by falling tree limbs and lightning during the massive rainstorm.
In Mayurbhanj, a youth died after struck by a lightning in Budhikhamari village under Bisoi police limits.
Storm also left a trail of destruction in Kantabanji area of Bolangir where people woke up to find uprooted electric poles, trees as hailstorm and lightning pounded the town during the evening. Roofs of several houses also sustained damage during the storm.
Similarly in Sundergarh, storm brought the town to standstill after rain and thunder lashed destroying a mobile tower, uprooting many trees and ripping off roofs.
In Rayagada district, three persons were killed in separate incidents at Kalyansinghpur and Ramnaguda block. Heavy rain with thunderstorm struck Shanti Nagar village under Pujariguda panchayat in Kalyansinghpur at around 1.30 pm. A minor boy was also killed by lightning at Sanlitipuli village.
Two persons were killed and two others were injured after wall of a passengers’ waiting room collapsed at Sundi Dhamuni in Ramnaguda. They were waiting for a bus amid thunderstorm when the weak wall of the rest room collapsed.
Similarly in Bolangir, two people lost their lives at Ingsa village under Agalpur block after a tree, uprooted by thunderstorm, fell on their house. One person was also injured in the incident.
One person was also killed by lightning in Nuapada district.
Besides Bhubaneswar, parts of Dhenkanal, Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak also witnessed nor’wester rain and heavy wind. Trees were reportedly uprooted at some places while power outage was reported at many parts of Bhubaneswar. Similar situation was also seen in Cuttack.
There is no report of casualty or injury and loss of properties eve as the strong winds continued for around half an hour.
In a bizarre incident,a bride in Bihar's Saran district refused to marry her groom after he behaved strangely following a lightning strike that resulted in a violent clash between the members of the two families, police said on Friday.
Renu Kumari (name changed) of Chitrsenpur village under Sonepur police station refused to marry the groom when he stated that he was afraid of lightning and behaved differently following a lightning strike in a nearby field two days ago.
This shocked the groom's relatives as some marriage rituals had already been solemnised. They protested but attacked by bride's side.
"After (the) lightning (strike), the groom behaved as he was afraid of it. The bride publicly announced she would not marry him, citing his unusual behaviour," a police officer said.
The officer in-charge of the police station, Sidheshwar Azad, said three people from bride's side were arrested and sent to jail for attacking the groom's party.
This is the first time such an incident has been reported from the state. Earlier, several bride refused to marry dark-complexioned, short-statured and mentally unstable grooms.
Five deaths were reported in Gaya and Aurangabad districts followed by four deaths in Munger, three in Katihar and two in Nawada.
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds uprooted trees, damaged houses and brought down power cables across the state on Monday.
The downpour also brought down the temperature.
The forecaster said there were 5 per cent chances of excess rainfall that is more than 110 percent of long-period average (LPA).
The average, or normal, rainfall in the country is defined between 96 and 104 per cent of a 50-year average for the entire four-month monsoon season. If it is normal, the country will record 887 mm for the four-month period from June to September.
"The onset month of June and the withdrawal month of September give a promising picture in terms of good countrywide rainfall distribution," Skymet said in its report.
The official forecaster, India Meteorological Department, is expected to come up with its monsoon predictions later this month.
In its forecast bulletin, Skymet drew up three more scenarios likely for the season -- ranging from below normal to excess rainfall with an error margin of plus-minus 5 per cent.
There are 20 per cent chances of above normal which is between 105 to 110 per cent of LPA.
Chances of normal, which is seasonal rainfall between 96 to 104 per cent of LPA, are 55 per cent.
Below normal rainfall, which is between 90 to 95 per cent of LPA, are 20 per cent.
There is "0 per cent chance of drought or seasonal rainfall that is less than 90 per cent of LPA", the forecaster said.
Normal rainfall in the country is critical for rice, cane, corn, cotton and soybean cultivation.
However, the agency said key monsoon months of July (97 per cent) and August (96 per cent) would see "below normal" rains. The two months, which bring in half the monsoon rains, are critical for a good crop harvest.
But June is likely to receive excess rainfall. September is also going to have normal rainfall with 101 per cent of LPA.
In terms of geographical risk, Skymet expected that Peninsular India along with major portion of northeast India was likely to be at "higher risk of being rain deficient throughout the season".
About the pre-monsoon heat across the country, Skymet said it "is a positive indicator and points towards normal monsoon".
"Similar conditions are presently prevailing across the country. In fact, weathermen are of the view that pre-monsoon season would be slightly below normal, paving the way for intense heat before the onset of monsoon."