BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar has seen hotter days in the past. But why does the current spell of heat seem so intolerable?
Weather experts and meteorologists have different takes on the staggering conditions that have hit normal life. The capital city on Sunday recorded 42.6 degree Celsius. It was 6.6 degree C above normal which happens during this period of the summer. Bhubaneswar’s all-time high day temperature for June was recorded in 2012 when the mercury hit 46.7 degree C but the ongoing sweltering heat makes denizens feel like they are experiencing the hottest days of their lives.
Weather experts attribute the hot and humid conditions to a combination of factors. “Usually, monsoon arrives in the state on June 11 but this time it is expected to take a few more days due to its late onset over Kerala,” said Umasankar Das, a scientist at Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.
In June, the moisture level increases leading to a rise in humidity due to which the real-feel temperature in the coastal region is much higher at present. Dry north-westerly winds flowing to the state is adding to the heat wave in interior districts and other places, said Das.
Associate professor of School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences of IIT-BBS Sandeep Patnaik expressed similar views and said hot weather is prevailing over Odisha due to the dry north-westerly winds.
“Heat wave conditions are prevailing in Odisha, Bihar and a few other states. Even London is experiencing hot weather due to a mass of hot air moving from Sahara Desert to Europe. The flow of dry north-westerly winds towards India is strong too,” said Patnaik.
In coastal districts, he said, people are experiencing humid conditions due to the moisture incursion under the influence of the low-pressure area over north-east Bay of Bengal off Myanmar coast which has weakened now.
“Besides, extremely severe cyclone Biparjoy has obstructed the flow of the south-west monsoon. Once the tropical storm makes landfall around June 15, normal monsoon flow will resume,” he said. Patnaik said the monsoon is expected to reach Odisha between June 16 and 19. A delay in monsoon combined with impact of two weather systems, he said, have made the heat intolerable.
On the day, 15 places in the state recorded normal temperature on Sunday. The departure from normal was the highest in Phulbani where the day temperature stood at 41 degree C, which was 7.8 degree C more than the average. While 30 places recorded 40 degree C or more on the day, Balangir and Bargarh were the hottest at 44.5 degree C, followed by Jharsuguda 44.4 degree C and Sonepur 44.3 degree C.
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 42.6 degree C and 41.6 degree C respectively. In Cuttack, it was 6.2 degree C above normal. Meanwhile, the regional Met office has issued a warning for the heat wave to severe heat wave in western district in the next two days.