Odisha is in the grip of an unusually intense Kalbaisakhi spell, with a powerful trough line active up to 3.1 km above the surface, triggering widespread rain, thunder, hail and gusty winds across the state.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has warned that this stormy weather will continue for another three days, till March 26 morning.
In the last 24 hours (8:30 am March 18 to 8:30 am March 19), the state recorded an average 3.2 cm of rainfall — a staggering 1,302% above normal for March. Meteorologists described the event as “extremely rare” for this time of the year, attributing it to moist sea winds feeding into the trough line that stretches across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Koraput district bore the brunt, receiving a massive 17.2 cm, followed by Malkangiri (11 cm), Sonepur (10.7 cm), Nabarangpur (10.1 cm) and Kalahandi (7.2 cm). Several other districts recorded between 0 and 10 cm. In just nine hours on Thursday (8:30 am to 5:30 pm), Koraput alone saw 42.4 mm. Meanwhile, daytime temperatures stayed high in western Odisha, with Jharsuguda recording the state’s highest at 36.8°C and eight towns crossing 35°C.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued an **Orange Alert** (be prepared) for Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Sambalpur, and a **Yellow Alert** (be updated) for 13 other districts, including Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri. Thunderstorms with hail and gusts of 30–50 kmph are likely at isolated places.
From Friday night, rainfall is expected to shift towards northern and north-interior districts. The good news: the showers will benefit rabi crops and help ease the early summer heat. Day temperatures are likely to remain 2–3°C below normal (35–37°C) for the next three days before rising again, while night temperatures will hover between 28–32°C. Light cloud cover, occasional thunder and hail will persist.
“Moist winds from the sea are continuously feeding the system, which is why we are seeing this unseasonal activity,” said Regional Meteorological Centre Director Manorama Mahanti. She urged farmers and residents to remain alert for lightning and strong winds.
