BHUBANESWAR: After a moderate drop in temperature for some days, sweltering heat conditions returned to many places in western and interior Odisha making life difficult for people.
Mercury breached the 40 degree Celsius mark in five places with the highest temperature of 41.5 degrees recorded at Balangir. Other towns which recorded more than 40 degrees Celsius are Bhawanipatna 40.5 degrees, Malkangiri 40.2 degrees, Jharsuguda and Hirakud 40.1 degrees respectively.
The Capital City was comparatively less hot with 39.8 degrees Celsius while Cuttack recorded 38.2 degree Celsius. Temperature in Bhubaneswar is likely to rise on Saturday again and may touch 40 degrees. But it will come down on Sunday.
IMD Director, Bhubaneswar centre, SC Sahu said temperature remained appreciably above normal in some places of western and interior Odisha. He said temperature will remain high for next four to five days. Sahu, however, said the temperature, which remained three to four degrees above normal, did not satisfy the IMD’s criteria of heat wave like condition.
There will be a drop in temperature after four to five days with a possibility of Kalbaisakhi in some places of interior Odisha. He said coastal Odisha will be less hot during next several days.
Other towns where temperature hovered around 40 degrees are Sambalpur at 39.1, Talcher 39, Sonepur 38.9, Angul 38.7, Chandbali 38.7, Dhenkanal 38.4 and Sundargarh 38.
The State Government had directed schools on March 22 to conduct morning classes from April 2. As per the directive, classes will be held from 6.30 am to 10.30 am. Besides, the schools have been asked to conclude the examination process by April-end.