Thunderstorm, hail throw life out of gear in twin cities

Bhubaneswar: A sudden and intense thunderstorm accompanied by hail, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph lashed the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on Saturday evening, catching many residents off guard. The storm brought moderate to heavy rainfall, resulting in traffic snarls, power disruptions and damage to trees and crops.
IMD had issued a red alert just a few minutes before the storm struck, warning of severe weather conditions in parts of Khurda and Cuttack districts, including the twin cities. In several localities across both cities, roads were waterlogged, and fallen tree branches obstructed vehicular movement, leading to traffic congestion during the evening rush hour. Power outages were reported in multiple areas due to damage to electric lines caused by strong winds and falling trees.
Visitors at the ongoing National Women's Business Mela 2.0 in Bhubaneswar ran helter-skelter and took shelter in bamboo sheds as the makeshift tents at the venue trembled due to the sudden thunderstorm and rain. The main gate of the fair collapsed.
IMD has advised residents to stay indoors in sturdy structures and avoid taking shelter under trees. More rain is likely in isolated areas over the next few hours, the Met office said.
"In the next seven days, several places across Odisha are likely to witness thunderstorm and rainfall," said Manorama Mohanty, director of the regional IMD centre in Bhubaneswar.
The IMD said that an east-west trough extending from southeast Rajasthan to north Odisha is influencing the prevailing conditions and may cause unstable weather through the coming week. While light to moderate rain is likely across coastal and interior Odisha until May 9, a gradual rise of 2-3°C in day temperatures is expected afterwards.
A maximum temperature of 41C was recorded in Bhadrak, while the day temperature at other places across the state remained below 40 degrees on Saturday.