Bhubaneswar: Eight places in Odisha recorded 35 degree Celsius or more before noon on Monday with Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda being the hottest at 37.2 degree Celsius each.
The mercury touched 37 degree Celsius in Balasore, 36 degree Celsius each in Sambalpur and Hirakud, 35.4 degree Celsius in Keonjhar, 35 degree Celsius each in Gopalpur and Puri by 11.30 am, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre tweeted.
Bhubaneswar had recorded 31 degree Celsius at 8.30 am. By 2.30, the mercury soared to 39 degree Celsius in the state capital while Jharsuguda and Sambalpur recorded the highest of 39.6 degree Celsius each, followed by Chandbali (39), Hirakud (37.6), Balasore (36.6), Keonjhar (36.2).
The day temperature is likely to touch 40 degree Celsius in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and the hot and sweltering condition may continue for next 7 days.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a spike in temperature in several parts of the county in the next five days. “A significantly higher number of heatwave days are predicted over parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana,” said IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mahapatra.
According to weather experts, the normal temperature at many places in the state may touch 40 degrees Celsius by April 12. “There has been a decline in thunderstorm activity and this will lead to an increase in day temperature by 2 to 3 degrees at some places during the next two to three days,” Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist Umasankar Das told the media.
Meanwhile, the MeT office issued yellow warning for thunderstorm with lightning for one or two places in Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Kalahandi and Sundargarh till 8.30 am on Tuesday. Light to moderate rain or thunderstorm is also likely at a few places in Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur ,Nuapada, Gajapati and at one or two places in the remaining districts of the state during this period.
While rain may continue at a few places in southern and coastal Odisha for the next two days, the state will experience dry weather thereafter. The day temperature is likely to rise gradually by 2-3 degree Celsius during next 2-3 days at a few places in the state with no large change thereafter, the midday bulletin added.
