JEYPORE/PHULBANI/ROURKELA: Most parts of South Odisha on Sunday continued to reel under cold wave conditions.
Intense cold wave lashed all parts of Koraput region as the Deomali hills in Potangi block recorded mild snowfall. Night temperature in the hill areas dipped to one degree Celsius, season’s lowest. The chill weather condition, which had vanished from the district for nearly 15 days, returned with bone-chilling cold winds on Friday. The entire pockets of the region have been experiencing biting cold as day and night temperatures fell to 14 and 5 degree C respectively.
The record breaking cold wave was witnessed in both hilly terrains of Koraput, Pottangi, Lamtaput, Nandapur, Semiliguda, Laxmipur, Dasmantpur and plains of Jeypore, Kotpad, Borrigumma, Boipariguda and Kundra blocks.
Sources said the cold wave condition was prevailing in the district from December 22 to 29 as the night temperature had dipped to seven degree C and the day temperature was hovering around 18 degree Celsius.
District Emergency department sources said the current cold wave in the area is due to impact of northern cold wind and it would continue for the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, the district administration has asked all block officials to be alert over possible deaths due to cold wave in the villages and to provide blankets to distress villagers.
Similarly, Kandhamal district is reeling under severe cold conditions as mercury dropped further. The minimum temperature in Phulbani town was recorded at two degree C on Sunday while it was recorded at 3.5 degree C on Saturday.
Due to severe cold wave, normal life was paralysed in the district. People prefer to stay indoors in the evening hours. Bonfires have become a common sight.
Meanwhile, a thin layer of snowflakes was found near Pillasalunki river bank of the town and dead fish were floating on the river on Sunday.
Similar cold condition also prevailed in Tumudibandha and Raikia while Baliguda and G Udaygiri blocks have been witnessing snowfall on paddy fields during wee hours for the last two days.
Cold wave condition has also returned with a vengeance with mercury plummeting to lowest ever level of the season at 5.5 degree C in Sundargarh district headquarters town on Sunday while Rourkela shivered at 8.2 degree C.
Owing to the biting cold conditions prevailing for the last couple of days, bonfires are back on the streets and people are seen staying indoors during evening hours. Market places are opening late in the morning and streets are witnessing thin traffic as the evening progresses. The IMD at Sundargarh town on Sunday reported night temperature at 5.5 degree C while day temperature was 26 degree C. On Friday and Saturday, the town had recorded minimum temperature at seven and six degree C respectively with maximum temperature hovering around 25 degree Celsius.
Rourkela on Sunday recorded minimum temperature at 8.2 degree C and the maximum was 28 degree while on Saturday, mercury dipped to minimum level of 7.4 degree C, sources said.