BHUBANESWAR: Capital Bhubaneswar shivered as mercury dipped to an all time low of 8.2 degree Celsius on Sunday even as Daringibadi in Kandhamal district and parts of Kalahandi district were draped in thin layer of frost under intense cold wave conditions that have gripped Odisha.
Daringibadi was the coldest place in the State recording a minimum temperature of 3 degree Celsius while Phulbani registered 4.5 degree.
Setting a new record, Bhubaneswar experienced its ever recorded coldest day with minimum temperature diving to 8.2 degree Celsius which the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said was lower by a whopping 6.4 degrees than the normal night time temperature in the city during this time of the year.
Neighbouring Cuttack also witnessed similar temperature of 8.2 degree Celsius. However, the lowest ever temperature for the Millennium City was recorded at 7.5 degree on December 12, 1996.
“This is the lowest temperature recorded in Bhubaneswar so far. The previous all time low temperature of the city was 8.6 degree C which had been recorded 26 years back on January 5, 1992,” said former director, IMD in Odisha and Director, Centre for Environment and Climate Sarat Chandra Sahu.
Extreme cold conditions engulfed major parts of the State with as many as 13 places recording below 8 degree Celsius.
Daringibadi, popular as Odisha’s Kashmir, witnessed mild snow fall due to sharp decline in the night temperature. Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi district woke up to thin cover of frost on Sunday.
Temperature dipped to single digit in 18 places including Angul (5.6), Sonepur (6), Keonjhar (6.4), Bhawanipatna (6.5), Jharsuguda (7), Titlagarh (7), Balangir (7.1), Koraput (7.2), Sambalpur (7.3), Balasore (7.8), Sundargarh (8), Hirakud (8.7), Baripada (9) and Chandbali (9.5).
Malkangiri recorded minimum temperature of 11.2 degree C, while coastal towns like Paradip, Gopalpur and Puri recorded temperature between 10 and 13 degree C.
IMD officials said the cold wave condition will continue to prevail for a few more days and the minimum temperature will continue to remain below normal by 3 to 4 degree C for the next four days till January 3.
The chilling cold also affected train services in the State. East Coast Railway (ECoR) officials said Neelachal Express was delayed by six hours due to intense fog.