Bhubaneswar: With a system brewing over Bay of Bengal, Bhubaneswar, which recorded the coldest November night in 25 years on November 17, saw an increase of 6.6°C in the night temperature in the last two days.
Bhubaneswar recorded 15.2°C at 5.30 am on November 18, 16.6°C on November 19 and 21.8°C on November 20.
According to senior meteorologist Umasankar Das, the sudden cloud blanket after two clear nights trapped the heat, causing the minimum temperature to jump sharply.
Semiliguda in Koraput and G Udayagiri in Kandhamal at 9.2°C and 9.4°C respectively, were the only two places in the state that recorded temperatures below 10°C in the last 24 hours with the cold wave spell over Odisha subsiding. Daringbadi and Phulbani, also in Kandhamal, recorded 11.5°C, followed by Koraput (11.7°C), Jharsuguda (11.9°C) and Rourkela (12.6°C). Cuttack city recorded 18°C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no large change in the night temperature for the next 6-7 days.
The low-pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22 under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, which lays over central parts of Strait of Malacca. “Thereafter, it is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into depression over central parts of south Bay of Bengal around November 24. The system may continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify further over southwest Bay of Bengal during subsequent 48 hours,” the Met office informed on Thursday.
The impact of this system on Odisha can only be gauged after the formation of the LoPAR, weather experts said.
Director of Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) Sarat Sahu said that weather models indicate that the low pressure may intensify into a deep depression or a cyclonic storm by November 26. “It may cross south Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam on November 27 night or the following day, though the system is expected to weaken upon landfall. Widespread rainfall is anticipated across southern Odisha, with heavy showers possible in the south coastal districts from November 26 to 28,” he added.
In a post on X, senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls had also predicted that a fresh low-pressure area would form in the southern Bay of Bengal this weekend and can strengthen to a cyclonic storm before approaching Andhra Pradesh later next week.
Private forecaster Skymet had also made a similar prediction while warning of rough weather early next week in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
This comes less than a month after Odisha was spared from major damage after Cyclone Montha made landfall south of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on October 28, clocking wind speeds of 90 to 100 kilometres per hour.
November-born cyclones frequently pose a threat to the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal, with a majority making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha coastline. A smaller number of these storms recurve northward, hugging the eastern Indian coast before heading toward West Bengal and Bangladesh.
In 2019, Bulbul made landfall near Sagar Island in West Bengal on November 9. Similarly, severe cyclonic storm Dana struck the Odisha coast with wind speeds of 110-120 kmph late in October in 2024. The landfall process continued for 9 hours during midnight of October 24 till morning of October 25. It crossed the North Odisha coast close to Habalikhati Nature Camp (Bhitarkanika) and Dhamra Port.
