Odisha braces for cold wave conditions

Bhubaneswar: After a two-day respite from severe cold across Odisha, the weather department today warned of prevalence of cold wave conditions over some parts of the state in the next 48 hours.

"Cold wave condition likely to prevail over some parts of Odisha during the next 48 hours," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement.

It said the weather has been dry over Odisha and there was no large change in the minimum temperature, which was appreciably below normal over north Odisha, below normal over south-coastal Odisha and normal over south-interior Odisha.

The highest maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius was recorded in Malkangiri and the lowest minimum temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Phulbani in the plains of Odisha, it said.

Daringbadi in Kandhamal district yesterday recorded 9 degrees Celsius, while Phulbani shivered under 6.5 degrees Celsius. At least eight different places across the state recorded minimum temperature below 10 degrees Celsius.

Bhubaneswar recorded a minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius, while Cuttack had a low of 11 degrees Celsius, the weatherman said.

Meanwhile, at a review meeting held under the chairmanship of Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi, it was said that Odisha experienced intense cold this season after a gap of seven years. Such a condition was observed last in 2011, Sethi said.

Director of IMD, Bhubaneswar, S C Sahu said it was observed that the duration of cold wave was relatively longer this year.