Bhubaneswar: Biting cold wave conditions continued to sweep Odisha as minimum temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius in at least 22 places in the state.
State capital Bhubaneswar experienced the coldest night in 22 years recording 9.2 degrees Celsius, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It was the lowest since 2004. The capital city had recorded 9.4 degrees Celsius on the previous day.
While Rourkela turned out to be the coldest city in the state recording a minimum temperature of 4.1 degrees Celsius in last 24 hours. Jharsuguda followed closely at 4.5 degrees Celsius, while Phulbani and Angul recorded 6 degrees Celsius each.
While Bhubaneswar dipped to 9.2 degrees Celsius, its lowest in over two decades, the millennium city of Cuttack also experienced severe cold as the mercury stood at 9 degrees Celsius.
Many other places across the state recorded minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius – Balasore (9.9°C), Baripada (8.8°C), Keonjhar (7.4°C), Sambalpur (9.4°C), Sundargarh (6.8°C), Hirakud (9.9°C), Bhawanipatna (8.2°C), Balangir (9.5°C), Koraput (9.8°C), Sonepur (9.3°C), Daringibadi (6.5°C), Boudh (9.8°C), Dhenkanal (7.7°C), Bargarh (9.8°C) and Nabarangpur (7.5°C).
The IMD has forecast that intense cold is likely to persist for the next two weeks due to the influx of dry and cold northerly winds. Severe cold wave conditions are likely to persist till January 11. In view of the prevailing weather situation, a Yellow Warning has been issued on Saturday in five districts – Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Cuttack, Khurda, and Angul. People have been advised to take precautions, especially during the night and early morning hours.
