ROURKELA: Intense cold wave conditions continued to sweep across Rourkela city and the rest of Sundargarh district on Monday with the remotely-located mineral-rich Koida block reporting occurrence of frost.
Due to the biting cold weather with clear skies, normal life at many places, mostly in rural remote pockets, remained affected with sharp drop in mercury level since Friday.
The Environment Engineering department of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on Monday recorded the minimum temperature at 9.7 degree C and maximum at 25.9 degree C with 95 per cent atmospheric humidity. On Sunday, the minimum temperature at Rourkela was 10.1 degree C.
On the day, the automatic weather station of the IMD at Sundargarh town, around 100 km from Rourkela, recorded the minimum temperature at 9 degree C. On Saturday and Sunday, it was 9.4 and 10 degree C respectively.
Sources said owing to the prevailing winter chill, shops and business establishments at Rourkela are downing shutters earlier than usual in the evening with people preferring to stay indoors. From late evening, even the busy marketplaces and streets, usually abuzz with activities, are wearing a near deserted look. Dense fog is blanketing the city till 8 am for the last couple of days, resulting in reduced visibility.
To beat the chill, people in groups are seen warming themselves near bonfires at many places. Bearing the maximum brunt of the severe cold conditions, the homeless persons are spending nights at bus stops, porches of shops and under the bridges.
Meanwhile, sources said the remote Koida block, around 120 km from Rourkela and 220 km from Sundargarh town, is reportedly experiencing freezing condition. Frost deposits on vehicles and house roofs and fields were reported on Sunday night and Monday morning at Koida, Tensa, Kalta, Malda and Kasira. The unofficially recorded temperature remained below 7 degree C in and around Koida on Monday.