BHUBANESWAR: Normal life was thrown out of gear as Bhubaneswar recorded its first official heatwave day of the season on Thursday, with maximum day temperature touching 42.2 degree Celsius.
As the state capital saw mercury soar past the normal by 4.5 degree C, people complained of uneasiness and heat stress as high levels of humidity made life miserable. During the peak hours, road wore a deserted look as denizens chose to stay indoors.
“Today’s conditions were almost unprecedented as I had not witnessed such a combination of heat and humidity,” said Prasanta Sahu, an online delivery agent of the city. While the sweltering conditions affected the people, for stray animals such as dogs and cattle, it was equally unbearable.
The intense heat surged in the state capital by about 5.4 deg C in the last 24 hours. Bhubaneswar had recorded 36.8 deg C on Wednesday. People expected respite as overcast conditions developed later in the day but only to be left disappointed.
Neighbouring Cuttack too sweated under intense heat and recorded 40.2 deg C on the day but citizens were in for a much-needed respite as nor’wester rains lashed the city in the evening. Keonjhar, which recorded 41.3 deg C on the day, too experienced thunderstorm activity. Besides, parts of Khurda district also witnessed rains and strong winds.
Before a nor’wester hit some parts of Odisha on Thursday afternoon, large parts of the state reeled under a gruelling heatwave. At least 24 places reported above 40 degree C temperature on the day.
While Jharsuguda experienced heatwave conditions for the second consecutive day and sizzled at 45.5 degree C, six other places recorded more than 44 degree C on the day. Sambalpur and Balangir recorded 44.6 degree C each, Hirakud and Titilagarh 44.5 degree C each, Sonepur 44.3 degree C and Boudh 44.2 degree C.
However, there is no immediate relief in sight as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heatwave over the next four days. Heatwave to severe heatwave may prevail in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Balangir and Nayagarh districts on Friday, said the regional met office.
Similarly, heatwave may prevail in Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bargarh, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh and Sundergarh districts. A severe heatwave is defined by more than 6.5 degree C above normal temperature at a place, while heatwave is a 4.5 deg C to 6.4 deg C above normal temperature.
The met office cautioned that people who are exposed to the sun for a prolonged period or are engaged in heavy works may suffer from heat-related ailments. Infants, senior citizens and people with chronic diseases are vulnerable to such weather and precautionary measures must be taken for their well-being, it said.