Bhubaneswar: Odisha witnessed a noticeable rise in the minimum temperature on Saturday morning, providing some relief from the recent cold spell.
According to senior meteorologist Umasankar Das, minimum temperatures in Jharsuguda and Keonjhar districts recorded an increase this morning compared to previous days. Jharsuguda registered a minimum temperature of 8.8°C at 5.30 am, which is 2°C above the recent trend. Similarly, Keonjhar recorded 10.6°C, marking a rise of 1.2°C.
This uptick in nighttime and early morning temperatures is being attributed to the ongoing effects of a western disturbance, a weather system originating from the Mediterranean region that typically brings cloud cover, precipitation in northern areas, and warmer air advection to parts of eastern India, including Odisha.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that cold wave conditions persisted in Jharsuguda and Angul, where the mercury dropped to 6.7°C (-5.8°C) and 8.6°C (-5.5°C) respectively in the last 24 hours. These towns had recorded 5°C and 8.4°C the previous day.
G Udayagiri, a hill station in Kandhamal, remained the coldest place in the state at 2.5°C, followed by Semiliguda in Koraput at 4.6°C, Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal, at 5.5°C, Rourkela at 6.6°C, Kirei in Sundargarh and Balangir at 8.2°C each, Bhawanipatna at 8.4°C, Dhenkanal at 8.6°C, Sundargarh at 8.8°C, Keonjhar at 9°C, Ranital in Bhadrak and Nabarangpur at 9.5°C each, Sonepur and Koraput at 9.6°C each.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 10.7°C (-4.8) and 10.2 (-4.2°C) respectively, compared to 10.5°C and 10.2°C the previous day.
According to the weather agency, cold wave conditions may continue in the district of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada till January 18 morning. Shallow to moderate fog may occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Kalahandi and Kandhamal during this period.
It has also forecast a rise in the minimum temperature by 2-3°C after 24 hours with shallow to moderate fog in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Kalahandi and Kandhamal district till January 22 morning.
