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Bhubaneswar: With year 2019 being declared by IMD as the seven most warmest year in India's recorded history, it's Odisha which figures among the major states that bore the brunt.
As per IMD's Annual Climate Summary report 2019 released on Monday, the 2019 annual mean land surface air temperature for the country was +0.36 Degree Celsius above the 1981-2010 period average, thus making the year as the seventh warmest year on record since 1901.
Significantly, data also showed that year 2019 had also seen 32 heat waves, which is the second-longest heatwave spell after 1988 (33 heat waves) in the country. And June had been the severest month recorded in Odisha.
Since Odisha is being considered by IMD as a core heat wave area, the rise in heat wave spell last year had an impact over Odisha, especially western Odisha where the maximum temperature hovered over 40 degree C during March-April itself.
While the coastal region had recorded mercury at over 40 degree C during April, the region was impacted by Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani on May 3-4, and as a consequence the temperature in May remained mostly subdued. But June witnessed return of heat wave in the coastal region.
However, the big side effect of 2019 turbulent weather in Odisha had been the lightning strikes. As per data available with Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council ( CROPC) and Earth Networks, Odisha took the maximum impact of lightning strikes during pre-Monsoon and Monsoon months.
The State was hit by a humungous 9.37 lakh cloud to ground strikes till August end 2019. Totally, the lightning count Odisha witnessed during the period stood at a massive 29.58 lakh, which included in-cloud flashes. And Odisha topped this lethal strike-chart in the country
The study by CROPC, which relied on Indian Institute of Tropical Meterology (IITM) sensors, reveals that maximum intensity of lightning was observed in the Chotanagpur plateau - the confluence of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. The IITM study, however finds that, Odisha owns the maximum part of lightning intensity and frequency in the region.
The more ominous revelation is the number of lightning days in Odisha are on the rise. Last year, Odisha along with Andhra Pradesh was lightning active state even in July, the peak monsoon month.
A somewhat consoling fact for the State is during the late pre-monsoon and monsoon period (April - August), the death toll saw a sharp plunge to stay at 125, courtesy the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC). Odisha SRC has in 2018 signed an MoU with Earth Networks to release dangerous thunderstorm alerts (DTA). Data shows that Earth Networks had issued 2,334 DTAs in Odisha till August end.
