Bhubaneswar: At least three persons were killed in lightning strikes and thunderstorms in Odisha over the last 24 hours, officials said Thursday.
Strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning affected Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Angul districts Wednesday afternoon and evening, claiming three lives, an official of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said.
In all, 94 houses were damaged in these three districts.
Elsewhere, 168 houses were damaged due to a storm in Rourkela city of Sundargarh district May 25. Several trees were uprooted, following which an ODRAF team and Fire Service personnel were deployed for restoration work, officials said.
Local administrations have distributed polythene sheets to families whose houses were damaged, they added.
Meanwhile, residents staged a road blockade in Rourkela Thursday after power supply was not restored in the affected areas. The protest was later withdrawn following intervention by the local administration.
In Sundargarh district’s Bonai town, a nor’wester uprooted several trees and damaged a number of houses and vehicles.
Bonai sub-collector Ashok Das said an ODRAF team has started clearing roads, while restoration of power supply may take some time, Das said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms with lightning and gusty surface winds across several parts of Odisha for the next six days.
An orange warning (be prepared to take action) has been issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts for Friday.
Heavy rainfall is also likely in Keonjhar, Angul, Deogarh and Sambalpur, which have been placed under orange warning.
A yellow warning has been issued for Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nawrangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, and Nayagarh districts.
The IMD also warned of hot and humid conditions in parts of coastal and southern Odisha.
It advised people to take shelter during thunderstorms and follow safety advisories, especially regarding lightning and urban traffic movement.
On Thursday, 12 places in the state recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above, with Bolangir being the hottest at 43.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Sambalpur at 43.1 and Titlagarh at 43 degrees Celsius.
