Bhubaneswar : The Regional Meteorological Department, Bhubaneswar, has predicted severe thunderstorm and rainfall between February 24 and 27. This came after the heat wave which lasted a few days and pushed the temperature to 40°C in several parts of state. Dark clouds were seen covering the city sky in the evening.
The Doppler weather radar and satellite images indicate light to moderate rain is likely at some areas of Cuttack, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Kandhanal, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Boudh, Sonepur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and also the Capital city.
Duty officer at the meteorological centre here, Jivan Baske, said a cyclonic circulation over eastern parts of Bihar and adjoining sub-Himalayan Bengal Saturday turned into a trough line at 1.5km above the mean sea level from Chhattisgarh to north interior Karnataka, while another trough line runs from interior Odisha to the east-central Arabian Sea across south Chhattisgarh, Telangana and north interior Karnataka. Under their influence, there will be light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and hail at some places in the state for four days till February 28.
The maximum temperatures were 4°C-5°C above normal in the last 24 hours. There would be confluence of moisture incursion at lower levels over east India during February 26 and 27. In the meanwhile, maximum day temperature is likely to be above normal in the next 48 hours in the state.
Thunderstorm and squall, with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph, is likely over coastal Odisha and north-west Bay of Bengal area between February 26 and 27. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea on those two days.
The Capital continued to sizzle in the last few days with the mercury soaring to 39.4 degree Celsius. In 2016, Bhubaneswar had recorded a maximum temperature of 40.9°C, the highest in February since 1963.