Bhubaneswar: The mercury plunged to 2.5°C in Kandhamal’s G Udayagiri on Thursday as Odisha continued to reel under severe cold conditions.
Semiliguda was close second at 3.2°C, followed by Phulbani, also in Kandhamal, at 5°C, Rourkela at 5.4°C, and Jharsuguda at 5.8°C. The other places, where the minimum temperature plummeted below 10°C, include Daringbadi in Kandhamal at 6°C, Bhawanipatna and Nabarangpur at 7°C each, Kirei in Sundargarh at 7.2°C, Chiplima in Sambalpur at 7.6°C, Angul at 7.8°C, Keonjhar and Sundargarh at 8°C each, Ranital in Bhadrak at 8.6°C, Balangir at 9°C, Balasore at 9.5°C, Rayagada and Koraput at 9.6°C each, and Sonepur at 9.9°C.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 9.4°C and 9.6°C respectively.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions prevailed at one or two places in the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Angul, Jharsuguda and Khurda in the last 24 hours. Jharsuguda recorded the sharpest fall of 6°C in the mercury level from normal, followed by 5.6°C in Bhubaneswar, 4.3°C in Balasore and 3.9°C in Cuttack.
The Odisha capital recorded the fourth coldest night in the month of January since 1952.
The weather agency has warned of cold wave conditions at isolated pockets in districts of Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Balasore, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nabarangpur till January 8 morning, and Sundargarh, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Balasore, Angul, Kalahandi and Kandhamal during the subsequent 24 hours.
The state is unlikely to experience any large change in the minimum temperature during the next 2 days. The mercury may rise by 2-3°C across the state during the subsequent 2 days with no large change thereafter.
It has also forecast dense fog at isolated pockets in Sundargarh from January 12 evening till next morning. Similar foggy conditions may prevail in Sundargarh, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur during the subsequent two days.
