Bhubaneswar: Panic gripped the residents of the Odisha capital on Monday as the mercury shot up to 45.8 degree Celsius by 2.30 PM, an all-time high in the month of April. The previous highest temperature recorded in the capital city was 45 degrees way back on April 23, 1985.
Reports said the temperature rose sharply from 9 AM and reached 44 degrees by 11.30 AM. It further went up to 44.4 degrees by 12 noon, 44.8 by 12.30 PM, 45.2 by 1 PM, 45.5 by 1.30 PM, 45.7 by 2 PM and 45.8 by 2.30 PM.
Talking to OTV, Dr Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director, Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said the wind flow across the state was from the west direction in the morning, but changed its course to north-west direction by 9 AM resulting in the sharp rise in temperature within three hours till 12 noon.
He said the temperature will rise further if the wind flow from the sea towards the surface does not set in early.
He said though there is a possibility of kalabaisakhi (Norwester) as the hot air becomes lighter and goes upwards allowing the flow of wind from the sea and triggers the effect of kalabaisakhi through quick formation of clouds, there is no indication of clouds till now as per the model indicator.
“Though surface temperature remains comparatively lower in the night, the air in the upper atmosphere has remained hot. Besides, the radiation of hot air from the earth is not able to move up to the upper atmosphere. As a result of this, blowing of sea breeze towards the surface is obstructed. Unless the air mass goes up to the upper air, it will not support formation of cloud. Due to this effect, possibility of formation of kalabaisakhi in the coastal belts is minimal,” he pointed out.
“Despite this, there is still possibility of kalabaisakhi as temperature in the coastal areas like Bhubaneswar, Chandbali and Balasore where the temperature has gone up to 40 degrees and above today,” Sahu pointed out.
Stating that the onset of kalabaisakhi cannot be predicted as it primarily depends on the sea breeze, which helps in the formation of quick clouds, he said if there is kalabaisakhi in any part of the coastal belt, it would be localized and there is indication of low rainfall within a 10-km radius due to inadequate moisture in the upper air.
“Except the coastal belt, there is no possibility of kalabaisakhi in the western and central Odisha,” Sahu added.