Bhubaneswar: The current spell of intolerable heat and extreme humidity in Odisha is likdle to continue during Raja festival from June 14-16, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Monday.
Orange warning for severe heatwave had been issued for eight districts – Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Kandhamal, & Keonjhar for Monday and Tuesday and for Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, and Boudh on Wednesday with little change in sultry weather conditions thereafter.
The MeT office has also issued severe heatwave warning for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for the day and mercury level is likely to remain 6.5 degrees above normal in the twin cities. The capital city on Sunday recorded 42.6 degree Celsius, 6.6 degree above normal. Bhubaneswar had recorded 30 degree Celsius and 35 degree Celsius at 5.30 am and 8.30 am with humidity of 88% and 65% humidity at the respective hours on Monday.
By 11.30 am, Sambalpur was hottest in Odisha at 42 degree Celsius followed by Jharsuguda at 41.8, Bhubaneswar at 41.6 and Hirakud at 41.2.
Humidity
Paradip: 80 %
Gopalpur:70%
Puri: 64%
Chandbali: 64%
Balasore: 61%
Bhubaneswar: 43%
Keonjhar: 35%
Weather experts have attributed the hot and humid conditions to a combination of factors – delay in arrival of southwest monsoon, increase in moisture level because of which real-feel temperature in the coastal region is much higher, and dry north-westerly winds which had upped the temperature in interior districts and other places.