Odisha's Kandhamal shivers at six degrees Celsius
PHULBANI: Normal life in Kandhamal district has been affected due to severe cold condition for the last seven days. On Monday, the headquarters town of Phulbani recorded the lowest temperature of the season at five degrees Celsius, while the Kashmir of Odisha, Daringbadi registered six degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, the temperature was recorded at six degrees Celsius in Phulbani town and 5.5 degrees Celsius in Daringbadi. The temperature in interior parts of the district like Bramhanigaon, Baliguda, Nuagaon, Raikia and Tumudibandh is recorded at below 10 degrees.
People in most parts are staying indoors while the passenger buses are running late. The tribal people in interior pockets try to get relief from bonfires. The vehicle riders are facing difficulties as deep fog engulfs the area till 9 am. “The temperature has dipped considerably in the last two days. Riding a motorcycle in the morning has become painful. The sudden fall in the temperature has made things really difficult for us,” said a local.
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A cold wave from the northwest and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh are responsible for the dip in mercury, weather experts said, adding that night temperatures are likely to fall further. Meanwhile, the Christmas was celebrated with the midnight prayer on Tuesday in all the churches of the district. Elaborate security arrangement was made for peaceful celebration by the district administration with the deployment of 21 platoons of forces in vulnerable areas. Similarly, police patrolling was intensified in Maoist infested areas. However, there was a delay in the onset of winter this year due to prolonged rainfall in September followed by the cyclonic storm Titli in October and Phethai in November.
Biting Cold
- Daringbadi registered 5.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday
- Temperature in interior parts of the district recorded at below 10 degrees
- A blanket of fog engulfed almost all areas of the district in the morning