Bhubaneswar: Heatwave to severe heatwave continued to persist in Odisha on Sunday with warning issued for Khurda, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Balangir, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Angul, and Jajpur.
According to the office of Special Relief Commissioner, heatwave condition may also prevail in Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapada, Sonepur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Deogarh, Bargarh, Rayagada, Koraput, and Puri.
The state will continue to reel under extreme heat conditions for another 4 day. The India Meteorological Department has issued red, orange and yellow warning from April 28 to May 1. During this period, the day temperature is expected to remain 4-6 degrees above normal.
On Saturday, Bhubaneswar recorded this season’s highest temperature of 44.6 degrees Celsius by 2.30 pm, which was 6.8 degrees above normal. The state capital virtually turned into a boiling pot with humidity clocking above 60 per cent. “This is longest spell after 2010 when Bhubaneswar has recorded 40 degree Celsius or above for 11 to 12 consecutive days,” weather scientist Umasankar Das said.
The mercury also soared to 43.4 degree Celsius, which was 6.3 degree above normal, in Cuttack. Baripada at 44.2 degree Celsius was the other place in the state where the mercury level was 6.7 degrees above normal, throwing normal life out of gear.
The state has already experienced 15 heatwave days in two spells this month. With hot weather condition dangerously tightening its grip over Odisha and weather agency predicting continuation of the same till May 9, this season could turn out to be the worst since since 1998 when the state had seen 27 heatwave days between mid-April and May.
Odisha usually witnesses 11 heatwave days between April and June.
