Intense winter chill sweeps districts as night temperatures plummet significantly
Bhubaneswar: Winter has tightened its grip across the state, with plummeting mercury levels disrupting normal life in several districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar has issued a critical weather update, highlighting that a Cold Wave in Odisha is currently active and expected to impact specific regions over the next two days.
According to the latest data from the Meteorological Centre, G. Udayagiri in the Kandhamal district emerged as the coldest spot in the state, recording a bone-chilling lowest minimum temperature of 2.6°C. In the plains, Rourkela reported the lowest temperature at 3.6°C, signaling an intense freeze across the region.
Severe Cold Wave Alerts
The weather office has flagged "Severe Cold Wave" conditions in isolated pockets of Angul and Jharsuguda. Meanwhile, standard cold wave conditions have been observed in parts of Cuttack, Khordha, and Sundargarh. Residents in these areas are advised to take precautions against the biting cold, particularly during the night and early morning hours.
The capital city, Bhubaneswar, also felt the chill, recording a minimum temperature of 9.4°C, which is a significant departure of -5.6°C from the normal. Cuttack was even colder at 8.6°C, marking a departure of -4.9°C.
Forecast: Relief on the Horizon?
While the shivering conditions persist, there is a glimmer of relief in the forecast. The IMD predicts that there will be no large change in minimum temperatures (night temperature) during the next 24 hours. However, the mercury is expected to rise by 2-3°C during the subsequent two days.
Following this brief warming period, no large changes are expected thereafter over the districts of Odisha. Dry weather continues to prevail across the state, with moderate fog reported only in Bhawanipatna, reducing visibility to between 200 and 500 meters.
For the next 48 hours (Day-1 and Day-2), the warning remains in effect for the marked districts, but from Day-3 to Day-7, no specific warnings have been issued, suggesting a return to more stable winter conditions.
