Bhubaneswar, May 24: Pre-monsoon showers brought relief from the scorching heat in most parts of Odisha on Saturday, according to the IMD. Heavy rain along with thunderstorms is likely across the state till May 30, and there will be no large change in temperature, it said. "Almost all the districts experienced cloudy weather, with light to moderate rain in many places and heavy downpour in some areas," said Manorama Mohanty, the director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar. Kerala Rains: Heavy Rains, Strong Winds Damage Homes, Crops in State as Monsoons Arrive Early; IMD Issue Red, Orange Alerts in Several Districts.

"Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail till May 30 in the wake of a cyclonic circulation that lies over north coastal Odisha," she said. Mohanty said a low-pressure area is likely to form over west-central Bay of Bengal around May 27. Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, Koraput received 45 mm rainfall, followed by Bhubaneswar (37mm), Angul (36 mm), Khurda (22 mm) Cuttack (18.4 mm) and Talcher (12.4 mm). IMD scientist Umashankar Das said Odisha was receiving pre-monsoon rains after the southwest monsoon reached Kerala. India Weather Forecast: Southwest Monsoon Arrives Early in Kerala; IMD Warns of Heavy Rain, Storms Across Country.

Pre-Monsoon Showers Lash Odisha

"The cloud systems responsible for the current rainfall are not moving in from the west or northwest, which is characteristic of Kalbaisakhi storms. Instead, these systems are advancing inland from the sea, a typical pre-monsoon pattern," he said. The IMD advised people to take safe shelter during a thunderstorm to protect themselves from lightning.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)