India, March 22 -- Starting today, most parts of Odisha were under the grip of Kalbaisakhi rainfall. The state capital of Bhubaneswar, along with several interior districts like Koraput and Sundargarh, received much-needed respite from a severe heatwave. However, this seasonal rainfall has a lot to know behind its name.

Kalbaisakhi, a term derived from Bengali, translates to 'calamity of Baisakh'-the first month of the Bengali calendar (April to May). These are violent, short-lived thunderstorms that strike Odisha and other eastern Indian states during the pre-monsoon period.

Known scientifically as Nor'westers, they originate due to the collision of warm, moist air from the Bay of Bengal with dry, cool air from the northwest, creating ...