Bhubaneswar: Senior Scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Umashankar Das, revealed that the scorching heatwave in Odisha shows no signs of relenting. Angul witnessed the mercury soaring to 44.7 degrees Celsius, while Bhubaneswar sizzled at 44.6 degrees Celsius this Saturday.
Das highlighted, “The highest maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius was recorded at Angul, with Bhubaneswar close behind at 44.6 degrees Celsius. Baripada also experienced extreme heat at 44.2 degrees Celsius. A staggering 33 stations have recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, with 14 stations hitting 43 degrees Celsius and above. This heatwave has persisted for the last 13 days, marking the longest spell since 2010.”
He further elaborated that Bhubaneswar is currently experiencing heatwave conditions with a departure of 6.8 degrees Celsius from the normal. “North coastal Odisha and some districts in North Odisha are particularly affected. This trend is expected to continue for the next 4 to 5 days, with daytime temperatures likely to rise by 2 degrees Celsius in many places over Odisha,” he added.
Due to prevailing dry air and intense solar insolation, the IMD forecasts a further increase in daytime temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius across many Odisha districts in the next 24 hours. Consequently, maximum temperatures are expected to exceed normal levels by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius over some districts for the next 4 to 5 days. The IMD issued a special bulletin advising people to take precautionary measures, especially between 11:00 Hrs IST and 1500 Hrs IST, during peak daytime hours.
The IMD also reported severe heatwave conditions in Jajpur district and heatwave conditions in Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Boudh, Nawarangpur, Ganjam, Khordha, Deogarh, and Kendrapada districts of Odisha.
