Bhubaneswar, April 6 Nor'westerly winds and hailstorms caused widespread damage in parts of Odisha on Monday, officials said.
Strong winds, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, affected the town of Athagarh in the Cuttack district and the Daspalla area in the Nayagarh district, they added.
A car was damaged after a cement structure erected by the Athagarh NAC collapsed on it, they said.
Several trees fell on roads in the Daspalla block of the Nayagarh district, disrupting vehicular traffic. Later, fire service personnel, along with local residents, cleared the roads, officials said.
The pandal erected in Daspalla town for the 'Lankapodi' festival was damaged. The head of the effigy of 'Ravan' was blown away due to the strong wind, according to an organizer.
Hailstorms and heavy rain damaged several makeshift houses and crops in the Dharamgarh block of Kalahandi district, and the Patnagarh and Khaprakhol blocks of Bolangir district, officials said.
However, the rain and thunderstorm brought the temperature down significantly, with not a single place recording a temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
Boudh was the hottest place in the state, with a temperature of 38.3 degrees Celsius.
The regional meteorological office said that thunderstorms, lightning, and strong surface winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kmph are expected in Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, and Cuttack districts on Tuesday.
The regional meteorological office has predicted that the nor'westerly winds and rainfall will continue until April 10.