Mercury Soars Past 40°C By 11.30AM In Odisha; Blistering Heatwave To Grip 21 Districts

Bhubaneswar: Amid the prevailing hot and humid and heatwave conditions, the mercury soared past 40°C in Odisha by 11.30 am on Tuesday.

Before noon, Balasore recorded 40.5°C followed by Bhubaneswar (39.6°C), Jharsuguda (39.5°C), Chandbali (39.1°C), Keonjhar (39°C), Rourkela (37°C), Sambalpur (37°C), Hirakud (36.8°C), Gopalpur (35.4°C), Puri (34.2°C), and Paradip (34.2°C).

By 2.30 pm, the mercury touched 40°C or more at six places. Bhubaneswar was the hottest place in the state at 41.9°C with Chandbali close second at 41.6°C, followed by Jharsuguda (41.4°C), Balasore (40.5°C), Sambalpur (40.3°C), and Keonjhar (40°C), Rourkela (39.9°C), and Hirakud  (39.5°C).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heatwave warning for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, and Malkangiri on April 16.  Hot and humid weather is also likely to prevail in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.

On April 17, heatwave may prevail in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Angul, and Boudh.  Hot and humid weather is also likely in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.

Twenty-one districts are likely to be in the grip of heatwave on April 18. These include Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi and Bargarh.

Hot and humid weather may also prevail in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.

On April 19, heatwave may continue in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi and Bargarh.

The day temperature is likely to rise by 2-4°C at many places during this period due to prevailing northwesterly/westerly dry air and high solar insolation. The mercury may soar to 43°C in both Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by April 19 with Jharsuguda being the hottest at 45°C.

Heatwave impact may lessen on April 20 with warning issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Angul, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh. Light rain/thundershower may also occur at one or two places in Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Gajapati, and Ganjam.

While there are no weather warning, light to moderate rain/thundershower may at one or two places in Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj on April 21 and Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Angul, and Balasore on April 22.