Thunderstorm Alert Across Odisha: IMD Issues Orange and Yellow Warnings for Multiple Districts The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued thunderstorm and rainfall alerts for several districts in Odisha, spanning the next five days. An Orange Warning has been specifically issued for Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday, with additional Yellow Warnings for other regions. The weather office has warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail, and gusty winds in parts of the state. On the first day of the alert, from March 17 at 8:30 AM, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are expected in coastal, northern, and interior regions of Odisha. Districts likely to receive rainfall include Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Boudh. Rainfall may also occur at one or two places in Rayagada, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Sonepur, Nawarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput, and Gajapati. The Orange Warning for Mayurbhanj predicts thunderstorms with lightning, hail, and gusty winds reaching 50–60 kmph in isolated areas. Thunderstorms with winds of 40–50 kmph are also likely in Keonjhar, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri. A Yellow Warning has been issued for Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Sundargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Bolangir, Boudh, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal, where thunderstorms with lightning and winds of 30–40 kmph may occur. On the second day, from March 17 at 8:30 AM to March 18 at 8:30 AM, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are expected in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, and Keonjhar, while the rest of Odisha may experience dry weather.#odisha #india_meteorological_department #balasore #mayurbhanj #keonjhar
Unsafe Journey: NU Taekwondo Girls Team Forced to Travel in Overcrowded Train Without Reservation A trip to a national tournament turned chaotic for the Nagpur University (NU) girls’ taekwondo team after they were compelled to travel in an overcrowded coach of the Falaknuma Express without confirmed reservations. According to university officials, one of the girls slapped a passenger after being pushed in the crowd, leading to a minor scuffle near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha on Sunday morning. NU sports director Sambhaji Bhosale told The Times of India that the 12-member team had reservations only up to Bhubaneswar and had to board a crowded coach of the Falaknuma Express to reach Balasore (Baleshwar) for a national-level tournament scheduled from March 16. He stated that the athletes were frightened during the incident. The team was accompanied by manager Bharati Kanojia and coach Narayan Waghade. The connecting train was packed with devotees traveling for a local festival. “The journey from Bhubaneswar to Balasore takes about two hours, and the train halts for barely five minutes at stations. At one of the stops, a girl standing near the gate felt she was pushed amid the rush, leading to an argument during which she slapped a youth who had asked her to step aside. A few others then gathered, and there was commotion,” Bhosale said. He added that the team’s manager and coach alerted railway authorities. The girl later lodged an FIR with the RPF at the next station. “The girl involved, and the team’s coach visited the railway police station to complete formalities, while the rest of the team reached the venue and completed tournament registration,” Bhosale said. The sports director also questioned the team management’s decision not to arrange a taxi or bus for the onward journey.#times_of_india #nagpur_university #falaknuma_express #bhubaneswar #balasore
