Bhubaneswar: The onset of winter was perceptible in the Odisha capital as the minimum temperature dropped below 15°C last night.
Bhubaneswar recorded 14.8°C, the coldest night of the season so far. The night-time reading of minimum temperature was 5.8 notches below normal.
Interestingly, the mercury in the state capital plunged by 5°C in the last four days. Bhubaneswar had recorded 19.8°C on November 7, 18.9°C on November 8, 17.4°C on November 9 and 14.8°C on November 10. The drop in minimum night temperature is being attributed to cold north-westerly winds blowing towards the state, coupled with clear sky conditions.
Besides Bhubaneswar, two other places in the state saw a sharp drop in the night temperature from season’s normal. Jharsuguda at 11.6°C was 6.3°C below normal, which was also the highest drop in the state for the day. Angul at 12.6°C recorded the second major 6°C drop from normal.
G Udayagiri in Kandhamal was the coldest place in the state at 8.4°C followed by Daringbadi at 10°C and Phulbani at 11°C. The other places which witnessed a crisp chill in the air are Chipilima in Bargarh at 11.8°C, Semiliguda in Koraput and Kirei in Sundargarh at 12.2°C each, Rourkela (12.5°C), Keonjhar (13.8°C), Dhenkanal (13.5), Sundargarh and Bhawanipatna at 14°C each, Koraput (14.2°C), Balangir (14.5°C), Sonepur (14.9°C), Hirakud (15.4°C), and Sambalpur (15.8°C).
Cuttack recorded 16°C, 3.6°C below normal.
On Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a drop of 2-3°C in the mercury levels during the next two days. In its extended range outlook, the weather agency had predicted 3-5°C below normal temperature in the eastern region of the country between November 13 and 19.