Bhubaneswar, Oct 6: Day temperatures have surged across Odisha, with the sharpest rise recorded in the coastal districts, making weather conditions noticeably hotter even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light rainfall and thunderstorms in parts of the state over the next few days.

According to the IMD's midday weather bulletin issued on Tuesday, maximum temperatures registered an appreciable rise of around 3 degrees Celsius over the districts of south coastal Odisha, while there was no significant change in the rest of the state.

The weather office said daytime temperatures remained 3-4 degrees Celsius above normal at many places in coastal Odisha, indicating an early spell of heat across the region.

Several interior districts also recorded temperatures 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal.

The coastal district of Puri emerged as the hottest place in the state, recording a maximum temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, Phulbani remained the coolest among the plains with a minimum temperature of 19.5 degrees Celsius.

Night temperatures witnessed no significant change across Odisha, although they were around 2 degrees Celsius above normal at a few places in coastal Odisha and below normal at isolated locations in the interior.

The weather bulletin noted that dry weather prevailed over almost the entire state, with only one or two places in Sundargarh district receiving very light to light rainfall during the past 24 hours.

Despite the prevailing heat, the IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at isolated places over several districts during the next few days. For the next 24 hours, rainfall activity is likely over parts of northern, western and central Odisha, while the remaining districts are expected to experience mainly dry weather.

A yellow warning has also been issued for Balasore, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, where thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 30-40 kmph are likely at isolated places.

The IMD expects similar weather conditions to continue over the following two days, with light to moderate rainfall extending to more districts, including parts of coastal Odisha. Thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning and gusty winds is also likely to persist over isolated northern districts under yellow warning.

Looking ahead, the weather office said maximum temperatures are unlikely to witness any significant change during the next two to three days. Thereafter, they are expected to fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius over the subsequent three days, providing some relief from the prevailing heat. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged during the next six to seven days.

For Bhubaneswar, the IMD has forecast a partly cloudy sky with the possibility of thunder or lightning during the next 24 hours. The city is expected to record a maximum temperature of around 36 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 24 degrees Celsius.