Cold wave tightens grip on interior Odisha; IMD issues yellow warning

Odisha continued to reel under a sharp drop in night temperatures on Friday night and early Saturday morning, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting cold wave conditions in select districts and dense fog in parts of the state.

The IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar reported that dry weather prevailed across all regions, with no synoptic system currently influencing the state’s atmosphere.

Reports added that dense fog over isolated pockets of Sundargarh and Koraput. Parts of Kalahandi experienced moderate fog as well. Visibility remained low in several locations during early morning hours before improving as the day progressed.

Sharp Fall in Minimum Temperatures

According to the IMD, night temperatures fell significantly in many districts. North Interior Odisha and South Coastal Odisha recorded a fall of around three degrees Celsius in some places. 

Minimum temperatures stood six to seven degrees below normal at a few stations in North Interior Odisha and remained three to five degrees below normal across most interior districts and many coastal areas.

In other regions, the departure from normal ranged between two and three degrees. Phulbani was the coldest location in the state, registering a minimum of 9.5°C.

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Cold Wave Alert for Three Districts

A yellow warning for cold wave conditions remains in effect for Jharsuguda, Kandhamal and Sundargarh. The alert is valid for Day 1 and Day 2 of the forecast period, up to 0830 hours on November 17.

Apart from this warning, the IMD has predicted completely dry conditions over all districts for the next seven days. The extended forecast for November 22 to 25 also indicates no significant change in weather patterns.

Minimum temperatures are expected to hold steady for the next 48 hours before rising by two to three degrees Celsius thereafter.