10 killed in lightning strikes in six districts of Odisha: Official

At least 10 people were killed in lightning strikes in six districts of Odisha, which witnessed heavy rainfall on Saturday, an official said.

Lightning strikes claimed the lives of four people in Khurda district, two in Bolangir and one each in Angul, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur and Dhenkanal, the office of the special relief commissioner said.

Three persons in Khurda were also injured in lightning strikes, it said.

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 state recorded 36,597 CC (cloud to cloud) lightning and 25,753 CG (cloud to ground) lightning in the afternoon, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) said on X, formerly Twitter.

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 H R Biswas, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre here.

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.