BHUBANESWAR: Citizens in coastal Odisha experienced some relief from prevailing hot and humid conditions on Saturday as day temperatures registered a marginal decline across several locations. Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 36.8 degree Celsius, which was 1.5 deg C below normal, while Cuttack registered 36.6 deg C, also below normal by 1.3 degree C.
Similarly, other coastal pockets like Balasore recorded 33.5 deg C (-3.1), Paradip 32.5 deg C (-0.2), Puri 32.3 deg C and Gopalpur 31.8 deg C (-0.2). In the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, the temperature was below normal by about 2 deg C at one or two places in north coastal Odisha, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty attributed the fall in temperature to moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal.
She also said that no significant rise in day temperatures is expected in coastal regions over the next 24 hours. On the other hand, interior Odisha continued to reel under intense heat, with 17 locations recording temperatures of 40 deg C or higher. Jharsuguda emerged as the hottest place in the state at 44.1 deg C, closely followed by Titilagarh at 44 deg C.
Weather experts have cautioned that day temperatures in interior and western Odisha may rise further by Monday under influence of dry north-westerly to westerly winds. The regional meteorological office has forecast hot and humid conditions at isolated places in 11 districts during this period.