Bhubaneswar: At least eight places in Odisha recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius and above on Monday as the IMD issued a hot weather warning for April 4 to 6. Jharsuguda and Baripada were the hottest at 40.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Bolangir at 40.3 degrees Celsius, according to an evening bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Boudh, Nayagarh, Bhawanipatna, Talcher and Titlagarh recorded a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. Both the state capital Bhubaneswar and neighbouring Cuttack recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius. The IMD's Bhubaneswar Regional Centre, in a special bulletin, said the maximum temperature will rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in the next two days due to prevailing northwesterly dry air and high solar insolation.
Consequently, the maximum temperature will remain above 40 degrees Celsius in many places across Odisha and is likely to be above normal by 3-5 degrees Celsius from April 4 to 6, it said. Besides, humidity will remain in the range of 50 to 70 per cent in coastal Odisha and between 30 to 50 per cent in the interior districts.
The weather office advised people to take precautionary measures while venturing out during the daytime between 11 am and 3 pm. Further, the maximum temperature would be between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius at a few places in interior Odisha and between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius in the coastal districts over the next four to five days.
Similarly, the minimum temperature is also likely to gradually rise by two to three degrees Celsius over the next two to three days at many places across The minimum temperature would be around 25 to 27 degrees Celsius (2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal) in most parts of the coastal districts while it will be between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius (three to five degrees Celsius above normal) in the interior pockets, the IMD centre said. In view of the prevailing weather conditions, weather scientists advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure and wear lightweight, light coloured, loose, cotton clothes. Workers were advised to avoid direct sunlight during the peak hours.
