Sudden showers send Bhubaneswar residents scurrying for cover

BHUBANESWAR: A sudden spell of rain lashed the city on Monday, throwing life out of gear for a brief period between 1pm and 2.30pm. Caught unawares, commuters dashed for shelter as massive thunders accompanied the showers.
The sudden downpour brought down the temperature and humidity levels in the city. The Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) forecast rain with lightning and thunderstorms here in the capital in the next 24 hours.
“It was a bright sunny morning today. There were no dark cloud till the noon, but the rain suddenly came out of the blue. At many places, it rained heavily even amid sunshine. I scrambled for a shelter as I was not carrying my raincoat. Many commuters faced a similar situation,” said Rabindra Kumar Sahu, a professional.
The city recorded 10.6-mm rainfall within a few minutes. Though the showers did not continue for long, its intensity filled the craters on all major roads, causing difficulties for commuters. “The condition of all major roads in the city is pathetic. The rain made it worse,” said Nanda Kishore Samal, a Sahid Nagar resident.
IMD sources said the southwest monsoon usually causes heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning before its withdrawal. This month, most places of the state may witness such downpours, said director of the IMD’s regional centre H R Biswas.
The IMD sources added that conditions continue to remain favourable for the southwest monsoon’s withdrawal from some parts of the country by October 6, while in Odisha, the withdrawal process begins after October 10.
The Met office has also issued yellow warning for rain and thunderstorms with lightning for 19 districts of Odisha, including all the coastal and northern ones.
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