Bhubaneswar: Coastal Odisha has been experiencing dense fog for the last 17-18 days under the influence of an anticyclone in Bay of Bengal off its coast, according senior meteorologist Umasankar Das.
Stating that the visibility was down to 100 metres at the airport in Bhubaneswar on Thursday morning, he added that presence of water vapour in the lower part of the atmosphere, clear sky and inactive air circulation conditions are favouring formation of fog.
An anticyclone is an area of high pressure where the air moves clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow warning of dense fog at one or two places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Khurda till Friday morning. The warning continues for Ganjam, Nayagarh, Cuttack and Khurda districts during the subsequent 24 hours.
Shallow to moderate fog very likely to occur at a few places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Khurda and at one or two places in Nayagarh and Puri during early morning hours on Friday; at a few places in Ganjam, Nayagarh, Cuttack and Khurda and at one or two places in Puri, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Kalahandi during early morning hours on Saturday; and at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri and Cuttack during early morning hours on Sunday.
Very Light rain may also occur at one or two places in Keonjhar, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangapur and Koraput districts till Friday morning.
The weather agency further stated that the night temperature may fall by 2-4°C during the next 3 days with large change thereafter. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack had recorded 22.8°C and 20.6°C respectively in the last 24 hours. Puri saw the highest minimum temperature of 25.5°C followed by Chanbali at 23.8°C.
On Thursday, the day temperature in the state soared past 35°C in ten cities in the state with Malkangiri and Balangiri hottest at 36°C each, followed by Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh at 35.9°C each, Hirakud and Bhawanipatna at 35.5°C each, Sonepur (35.2°C), Angul (35.1°C) and Parlakhemundi (35°C).
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 33.8°C and 31.8°C respectively.
The mercury may touch 34-35°C in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack during the next seven days, the MeT office has predicted.
