BHUBANESWAR: Winter has begun to set in on Odisha with night temperatures registering a marked dip since Thursday and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a progressive drop in the coming days.
G Udayagiri was the coldest in the state in the last two days recording 13.4 degree C and 12 degree C on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The Twin City also witnessed a dip in mercury levels in the last two days. Bhubaneswar recorded 21.9 degree C and Cuttack 20.2 degree C on Thursday. On Friday morning, the capital city recorded 20 degree C and neighbouring Cuttack 19.2 degree C.
The IMD said the minimum temperature is expected to gradually fall by 2-4 degree C at many places in the state in the next four to five days.
Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said, “The flow of dry and cold northerly winds towards the state has strengthened leading to a drop in night temperatures. Parts of the state, especially western districts, may experience a significant dip in the mercury levels over the next four to five days.”
Mohanty said the minimum temperature had remained warmer in the initial fortnight of November as Cyclone Dana had led to incursion of sufficient moisture into the state. Absence of western disturbances was the other factor contributing to the warmer temperature.
Associate Professor of IIT-BBS School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences Sandeep Pattnaik said, “The minimum temperature is expected to dip within the state as a result of the ingress of arid and frigid northwesterly winds. Further, the descent of the westerly jetstream transporting cooler and drier air to the lower latitudes, accompanied by a weaker western disturbance, will lead to colder nights between November 17 and 24.”
However, the minimum temperatures are projected to rise from November 24 due to the anticipated impact of a cyclonic circulation. The system is expected to develop over the southern region of the Bay of Bengal between November 24 and 28 and facilitate the influx of moisture via intensified easterly winds towards the land. This will elevate temperature levels in the state, he said.
Meanwhile, there is no clarity yet on how temperatures will behave in December. The IMD is expected to issue its winter season forecast (December to February) by the end of this month. There is a high probability of development of La Nina conditions, IMD sources said.