Odisha lightning: At least ten people died and three were injured on Saturday (September 2) due to lightning in six districts of Odisha, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) which deals with disaster management in the state said.
One person died in Angul district, two in Bolangir, one in Boudh, one in Jagatsinghpur, one in Dhenkanal and four in Khordha, the SRC said. The three injured were from Khordha district, he added.
In a message on X, SRC Odisha said, “Today (02.09.2023), 10 persons died & 3 persons injured in 6 districts due to lightning. Angul -01, Bolangir -02, Boudh- 01, Jagatsinghpur -01, Dhenkanal -01, and Khordha – 04 (and 03 injured).”
Earlier in May, three people including a woman lost their lives after lightning struck at different places under Saranakula police limits in Nayagarh district.
The coastal region of Odisha, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, witnessed heavy rain with lightning strikes, the official said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a similar situation in several parts of the state in the next four days.
A cyclonic circulation has activated the monsoon which caused heavy rainfall across the state, the statement said. The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 126 mm and 95.8 mm of rainfall respectively during a 90-minute spell in the afternoon.
The Met department has advised people to take shelter in safe places during thunderstorm activity. A cyclonic circulation also lies over the northeast Bay of Bengal while another is likely to form over the north of the Bay of Bengal around September 3, said HR Biswas, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form during the subsequent 48 hours.
Due to the cyclonic circulation and possible low-pressure area, the southwest monsoon, which remained subdued in Odisha, will now cause heavy rainfall during the next three to four days, he said.
(With agencies inputs)
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