Bhubaneswar, Jun 6: After four days of intense heatwave conditions, the much-awaited Kalbaisakhi thunderstorm — Nor’wester — finally brought relief to the people of the capital city on Saturday.

The sharp drop in temperature and rain accompanied by strong winds provided great respite from the severe summer conditions.

Till 2:30 PM, Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 40°C with 43% humidity, making it feel like 50°C.

However, the afternoon Kalbaisakhi storm caused the temperature to drop dramatically by 14 degrees to 26°C within a short span. Humidity rose to 86%, bringing the real feel down to around 28°C.

Also read:

The storm brought strong winds and hail, leading to several incidents across the capital. Many trees were uprooted and fell on roads, causing major traffic disruptions.

In areas like Sainik School to Acharya Vihar, large trees blocked roads, forcing locals to cut and clear them. Trees also fell on vehicles, including autos and bikes, near CRPF Square to Unit-8 DAV School road.

Red Warning Issued

The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a Red Warning for five districts — Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Cuttack, Khordha, and Nayagarh — for the next three hours.

Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 60-70 kmph are very likely in these areas. Orange alerts have been issued for Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.

According to the weather department, such Kalbaisakhi activity along with hot and humid conditions is likely to continue till June 10. Day temperatures may rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in some districts over the next three days.

Monsoon Situation

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that the Southwest Monsoon is likely to advance into some parts of Odisha in the next 6 to 8 days, subject to favourable conditions.

People in the state, who have been reeling under extreme heat for the past few days, welcomed the Kalbaisakhi as a timely relief.