BHUBANESWAR: As the dangerously hot weather tightened its grip over Odisha heaping unbearable suffering on people, Bhubaneswar recorded this season’s highest temperature of 44.6 degree Celsius on Saturday.
The state capital was scorched by the severe heatwave as the maximum temperature went 6.8 degree C above normal. Denizens woke up to extremely uncomfortable weather as the mercury read 33.4 degree C at 8.30 am with 74 pc humidity. The temperature continued to rise as it recorded 41.2 degree C at 11.30 am and reached the peak by 2.30 pm.
Blistering heat took a toll on normal life in most parts of Odisha as 33 places recorded 40 degree C or more. Of them, mercury level hovered around 43 degree C or above in 14 places. Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Dhenkanal suffered from severe heatwave, while intense conditions prevailed in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Angul, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, Nuapada, Nayagarh and Deogarh districts.
As per the regional Met office, Angul was hottest in the state at 44.7 degree C (+4.5 degree C) and Baripada 44.2 degree C (+6.7 degree C). Cuttack witnessed severe heatwave like condition as the mercury level soared to 43.4 degree C, which was above normal by 6.3 degree C.
With weather office predicting continuance of the harsh conditions till at least May 9, weather experts said this season’s extreme weather could possibly turn out to be the worst since 1998. Odisha had recorded about 27 heatwave days between mid-April and May in 1998.
This month, the state has already recorded 15 heatwave days in two spells. What remains a cause of concern is that Odisha normally experiences about 11 heatwave days between April and June.
Meanwhile, the regional Met office has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave condition in parts of the state till May 1. Maximum day temperature is likely to be above normal by 4 degree C to 6 degree C over some districts during next four to five days. People are advised to take precautionary measures while going outside between 11 am and 3 pm, said the met office.
“Long spell of northwesterly, westerly dry air and high solar insolation along with absence of significant rainfall activity has pushed the number of heatwave days to 15 so far this month. After 2010, this is the longest spell when Bhubaneswar has recorded 40 degree C or more consecutively for 11 to 12 days,” said Umasankar Das, scientist of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.
