The intense cold wave sweeping across Odisha shows no signs of immediate relief, with minimum temperatures plunging below 10°C in 15 locations on Monday. G. Udayagiri in Kandhamal district emerged as the state’s coldest spot for the second consecutive day, recording a chilling 3.6°C.
According to Dr. Sanjeev Dwivedi, scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Semiliguda in Koraput registered 5.4°C, while Phulbani and Daringbadi in Kandhamal recorded 5.5°C and 6°C respectively. Koraput town saw 6.4°C, and Jharsuguda dropped to 6.5°C – marking it 4.8°C below normal and the fourth lowest December temperature on record for western Odisha.
Other locations experiencing sub-10°C temperatures include Rourkela (7°C), Angul (8°C), Nabarangpur (8.6°C), Kirei in Sundargarh (8.7°C), Bhawanipatna (9°C), Bolangir (9.4°C), Sundargarh (9.5°C), and both Keonjhar and Sonepur (9.8°C). In contrast, Cuttack recorded 12.5°C, while Bhubaneswar remained relatively milder, staying above the normal 14°C mark over the past 24 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the cold wave will continue for another two days, with a yellow warning issued for seven districts due to dense fog expected in the next 24 hours. The affected districts are Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Sundargarh. Widespread fog is likely across the state, accompanied by dry weather and light winds.
Dr. Dwivedi added that while the severe chill has persisted for several days, a slight easing of the cold intensity is expected after the next 24 hours. No rainfall is predicted, and dry conditions will prevail statewide. Residents are advised to take precautions against the cold and reduced visibility due to fog, particularly during morning hours.
