Odisha sees unusual temperature rise in February, braces for harsher summer ahead

Odisha is grappling with unusually warm temperatures early in February with temperatures soaring above 36 degrees Celsius in the first two days of the month, a period typically marked by mild winter weather.

On Sunday (February 2), Bolangir recorded the state’s highest temperature this year at 36.7 degrees Celsius, while Titilagarh (36°C), Jharsuguda (35.6°C), and Bhubaneswar (34.4°C) also saw unusually high mercury levels.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the sudden rise to clear skies and southwesterly winds, which trap heat. Further, the absence of winter moisture and prolonged dry spells have intensified the conditions.

The weather office also predicted the prolonged heat to continue and stated that no significant weather changes are expected for the next 4 to 5 days and that temperatures may climb further.

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The unseasonal heat has triggered fears of a harsher summer ahead with people bracing for more sweltering days and relief unlikely anytime soon.

It is worth mentioning that the weather patterns in Odisha shifted quite dramatically as coldwave-like situations persisted just a fortnight ago. Moreover, dense fog that began in late January has continued over many places including the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, causing sunlight to stay hidden during early morning hours.

The unusual February heat in Odisha is part of a broader trend of climate change impacts on regional weather patterns, with studies showing that climate change has increased the likelihood of abnormally high temperatures in parts of eastern and southern India by approximately 45 times.

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Observations from 2023, when several parts of India experienced heatwave conditions in February, had recorded maximum temperatures 5 to 11 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Moreover, that year ended up being the second warmest year on record for India, indicating a concerning trend of rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events.