After a brief spell of cloudy skies and a marginal rise in minimum temperature, winter is set to tighten its grip on Odisha once again.
The Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, has forecast a sharp fall in night temperature starting from Wednesday night, signalling the return of cold wave conditions across the state.
In the last 24 hours, light rainfall of 1 mm was recorded at Dharakote in Ganjam district due to the influence of the system. While south Odisha remained mostly cloudy, dense fog was reported at isolated places in Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Sundargarh districts. Moderate fog was observed in Sonepur, Titlagarh and Jharsuguda.
The lowest minimum temperature of 9.8°C was recorded at G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district, followed closely by 10°C at Daringbadi.
Dense Fog Warning for Two Days
The weather office has issued a **Yellow Warning** for dense fog in several districts for the next two mornings:
- Thursday morning: Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Jharsuguda, Bolangir and Sonepur
- Friday morning: Dense to very dense fog is likely at isolated places in the same districts
Motorists have been advised to exercise caution due to significantly reduced visibility.
Temperature Trend
Due to persistent cloud cover and moisture, minimum temperatures have risen by up to 4°C in some pockets of south interior Odisha and 1-4°C in other parts of the state in recent days. However, with the weakening of the low-pressure system and clearing skies, a marked fall in night temperature is expected from Wednesday night onwards.
The Met Centre has predicted that minimum temperatures across Odisha are likely to drop by **2 to 4 degrees Celsius** over the next three days, bringing back chilly winter conditions.
Residents, especially in the western and southern districts, are advised to take necessary precautions as the cold wave makes a comeback.
