At least 10 people died and many were injured in the series of lightning strikes that struck six districts in Odisha on Saturday. The regional meteorological centre said that heavy rainfall is expected in several parts of the state over the period of the next three to four days. Four people died in Khurda district, two in Bolangir, and one each in Angul, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur and Dhenkanal, the office of the special relief commissioner told news agency PTI.
The office said that three individuals got injured in Khurda following the lightning strikes on Saturday. Heavy rainfall and lightning strikes were observed in the coastal regions of Odisha, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, reported PTI.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a similar situation is expected in several parts of the state in the period of the next four days. The IMD in a statement said that a cyclonic circulation has activated the monsoon which caused heavy rainfall across the state.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack within 90 minutes in the afternoon recorded 126 mm and 95.8 mm of rainfall respectively.
Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to say that the state recorded 36,597 CC (cloud to cloud) lightning and 25,753 CG (cloud to ground) lightning in the afternoon.
The IMD has advised people to take shelter in safe places during thunderstorm activities.
The Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, HR Biswas, said that a cyclonic circulation also lies over the northeast Bay of Bengal and another such is likely to form over the north of the Bay of Bengal on Sunday. A low-pressure area is likely to form during the subsequent 48 hours under the influence of the said cyclonic circulation. Due to the cyclonic circulation and possible low-pressure area, the southwest monsoon, which remained subdued in Odisha, will now lead to heavy rainfall over the next three to four days, Biswas told PTI.