Bhubaneswar, Jun 8: The southwest monsoon continued its northward march. The monsoon has further advanced into parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and some areas of Telangana.

Weather conditions are favourable for the monsoon to enter Odisha within the next 2-3 days.

Despite the pre-monsoon showers, intense heat and humidity persisted in the state capital. Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 36.2°C with a heat index of 52°C and 66% humidity till 11:30 AM, causing discomfort to residents.

Also read: Monsoon Likely to Reach Odisha Between June 16-20

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued weather warnings for the next 24 hours. Orange Alert has been sounded for 14 districts — Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Boudh — where thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph are likely.

A Yellow Alert has been issued for 16 districts — Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Sonepur, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Khordha, and Puri — with the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by winds of 40-50 kmph.

Kalbaisakhi Wreaks Havoc

Severe Kalbaisakhi thunderstorms continued to lash Bhubaneswar Monday afternoon, bringing strong winds, lightning, and heavy rain that caused significant damage. Dark clouds engulfed the sky as gusty winds and thunderstorms disrupted normal life in the twin cities.

#BREAKING | Nor'westers impact in Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds lash capital city.#Odisha #Kalbaisakhi pic.twitter.com/rejabdyaic

— Argus News (@ArgusNews_in) June 8, 2026

In Cuttack, the one-hour-long spell of Kalbaisakhi on Sunday wreaked havoc by uprooting trees and damaging hoardings. The most notable damage occurred at the famous Maa Cuttack Chandi Temple, where the newly constructed Dadhinauti was destroyed after being struck by lightning on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, a technical team from the construction agency visited the temple along with local MLA Sofia Firdos to assess the damage.

The MLA has written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene, alleging poor quality construction work. She has also raised questions about whether the temple’s earthing system was properly installed. The head priest of the temple has similarly complained that the construction work was not done properly.