Bhubaneswar: It is just the first week of February, and Odisha has already started to reel under heatwave conditions, at a time when temperatures usually remain a bit cooler. The mercury is rising steadily across the state, triggering concerns about situation in the summer months ahead.
As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), the day temperatures in Koraput broke a 52-year record on January 27. Similarly, on January 31, Bhawanipatna and Jharsuguda also witnessed record-breaking temperatures. Bhawanipatna recorded 34 deg C on January 31, which is the second-highest temperature in over five decades.
Meanwhile, capital city Bhubaneswar shattered a 21-year record, registering 34.9 degrees day temperature in the first week of February. Last year in April, Bhubaneswar experienced temperature above 40 deg C for 16 consecutive days, and this year too, the city is set to witness a harsh summer, predicted IMD.
According to reports, mercury in the state, especially in interior regions, is nearly six degrees higher than normal, and it will be above normal throughout the month of February. "Both coastal and interior regions are in the grip of unseasonal heat. Temperatures in several districts including Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Bolangir, and Gajapati, have remained 5-6 degrees above normal. Twin cities Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have also witnessed unusual spikes over the last few days," stated Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar.
The IMD has warned that heatwave is likely to intensify in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise by nearly 10 degrees above normal by the third week of February.
"Scorching conditions are more severe in interior Odisha than in coastal belt. By the third week of February, temperature will be close to 10 degrees higher than normal," Manorama Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, dense fog is expected during the next three days along with increase in temperature. A yellow alert citing dense fog and low visibility has been issued for 12 districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Khordha and Ganjam district.
Warning for the State.
— Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar (@mcbbsr) February 5, 2025
Day-1 to Day-3 : Dense Fog Warning at one or two places over the marked districts.
Day-4 & Day-5 : No Warning.#Odisha #weatherforecast pic.twitter.com/74duok0x0K
While IMD has forecast a severe heatwave for India this year, parts of Odisha are also likely to face extreme weather conditions in the coming days.
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