Nor’wester uproots trees, hits traffic in twin cities

Hemanta Pradhan/Manabesh Mohanty

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: A powerful nor’wester ripped through the twin cities on Monday, uprooting hundreds of trees and damaging vehicles and roadside shops, marking the second spell of severe winds in three days. It caused similar disruptions in parts of Bhubaneswar on Saturday and sweeping through Cuttack on Sunday.

The intense squall, accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, disrupting normal life and causing traffic snarls, which led to power outages in several localities. Weather readings showed a sharp relief from the heat. Before the storm, Bhubaneswar recorded 40.7°C with humidity between 82% and 93%. The nor’wester dragged down the temperature by 17.6°C, to settle around 23°C.

However, the nor’wester left a trail of destruction across several localities in Bhubaneswar, including Nayapalli, Saheed Nagar, Unit-IV, Jaydev Vihar, Chandrasekharpur, Patia, Old Town and parts of Rasulgarh. Hundreds of trees were uprooted and branches broke, damaging parked vehicles, roadside kiosks and boundary walls.

Traffic movement was severely affected on major roads as fallen trees blocked key stretches, while power supply was disrupted in many areas after electric poles and overhead wires were damaged. “I had parked my car near Mayfair hotel in Jaydev Vihar, when the storm struck. Within minutes, a large tree collapsed on the vehicle, severely damaging its roof and windshield. Thankfully, no one was inside the car at the time.

Such incidents are becoming frequent during nor’westers and authorities should identify and prune vulnerable trees before monsoon to prevent losses to life and property,” said Sanjib Kumar Parida, whose car was damaged during Monday’s storm.

Many residents expressed concern over recurring damage caused by nor’westers. “We have witnessed two major storms in three days. Several vehicles were damaged after trees fell on them. There is a need for regular pruning and planting of stronger tree species in vulnerable areas,” said Srimad Saran Das, a resident of Maitri Vihar, Bhubaneswar.

Fire services, BMC and CESU teams worked through the evening to clear roads and restore electricity. Strong winds, accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, caused panic as the storm swept through the city within a short span, leaving behind extensive damage to public and private property.

“The strong winds struck with little warning, forcing many shopkeepers to shut establishments and seek shelter. Civic teams and fire services personnel were pressed into service to clear roads and restore normalcy,” Nabin Das, a resident of Nayapalli. “The wind speed was high and mature trees could not withstand the force. A team has been engaged to count the number of trees uprooted, Our teams are assessing the damage and clearing affected roads on a priority basis,” said Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das.

Moreover, large trees were uprooted in several parts of Cuttack, including Baranga, Cantonment, Bidanasi, Trisulia, Mangalabag and Badambadi, blocking roads and damaging parked vehicles. On Monday, a large neem tree was uprooted and fell across the busy Trisulia road during the nor’wester storm, disrupting vehicular movement for nearly an hour. The fallen tree blocked a major portion of the road, leading to traffic congestion.

Fire services personnel rushed to the spot and cleared the obstruction following which normal traffic movement was restored. No injury was reported. Moreover, large trees were uprooted in several parts of Cuttack, including Baranga, Cantonment, Bidanasi, Trisulia, Mangalabag and Badambadi, blocking roads and damaging parked vehicles.

Experts said urban areas need better planning to minimise storm-related losses. “Climate variability is increasing the frequency of intense weather events. Cities must focus on resilient infrastructure and wind-resistant trees to cut risks,” said environmentalist Asutosh Debata.

Officials said no loss of life had been reported till late evening, though the extent of property damage was still being assessed. Clean-up operations continued across both cities.