Bhubaneswar: Even as the intense heat wave condition during the past 48 hours has thrown life out of gear across the state, the regional meteorological centre here issued thunderstorm warning for seven districts, Sunday.
The districts likely to be affected include Ganjam, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Nayagarh, Balasore and Keonjhar. People in these places have been advised to take shelter at safer places, if such weather conditions prevail. Fishermen have also been advised not to venture into the sea in the next 24 hours as strong and gusty surface wind with speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph to 60 kmph is expected along and off Odisha coast.
The bulletin also stated that a cyclonic circulation at 7.6 km above mean sea level lies over west central Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The weatherman also predicted that the maximum and minimum temperatures are most likely to be around 40°C and 27°C respectively Monday.
While Titlagarh with 41.5°C recorded the highest maximum temperature Sunday, Sundargarh recorded the lowest temperature at 21°C. The maximum temperature in the capital city was 41°C, while neighbouring Cuttack recorded a maximum temperature of 40°C.
The mercury level breached the 40°C mark in at least seven places in the state Sunday.
Meanwhile, a PTI report from New Delhi quoting a meteorological department official said the southwest monsoon has weakened after remaining “very active” during the first half of June and it is expected to revive in the next five-six days.
The India Meteorological Department official said the “lull” in monsoon activity is normal.
The northern limit of the monsoon continues to pass through Thane (including Mumbai), Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Amravati, Gondia, Titlagarh, Cuttack, Midnapore, Goalpara and Baghdogra.
“The further advance of the southwest monsoon has weakened. It was very active until June 15, but there is a lull now. However, it expected to revive in the next five-six days,” IMD Additional Director-General Mritunjay Mohapatra said.
The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 29, three days ahead of its normal onset and, over the past a few days, it has battered parts of the western coast and the northeast.
Mohapatra said Odisha and other parts of east India would start receiving “good” rainfall from June 23-24, while Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and other parts of the southern peninsula from June 26.
For tomorrow, the IMD has predicted “heavy to very heavy rain” at a few places in Konkan, Goa and coastal Karnataka and heavy rain in parts of the sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, central Maharashtra and Kerala.
“Thunderstorm accompanied with squall is very likely at isolated places over Punjab while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Marathawada,” the IMD said.
