BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is likely to experience an unusually early heatwave onset this year with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a hot weather warning for two days this week.
The national weather forecaster has predicted heatwave conditions at one or two places in Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts on Thursday and Friday.
Heatwave situations are declared if the maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degree Celsius in plains and the departure from normal is 4.5 degree C to 6.4 degree C in at least two places for two consecutive days.
As per the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, day temperature is likely to gradually rise by 2 degree C to 4 degree C in the state within four days. The day temperature is predicted to touch 40 degree C mark or above at isolated places in Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts during this period.
Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said, “Heatwave is likely to prevail at isolated places and mercury level is expected to increase in other parts of Odisha under the influence of hot and dry northwesterly winds blowing towards the state.”
Odisha witnesses one or a maximum of two heatwave days in March, three to four in April and four to five in May. Last year, the state had not recorded any heatwave day in the month of March.
The early hot weather has set a warning for an intense summer ahead this year. Weather experts attributed the less number of coldwave days during the recent winters, thunderstorm activity in February and early heatwave to climate change.
The special relief commissioner’s (SRC) office has asked the collectors to circulate the warning message among the people in the districts likely to be affected by heatwave. It advised the citizens to take precautions while venturing out of their houses between 11 am and 3.30 pm in the districts likely to record heatwave condition. The collectors have been asked to closely monitor the situation and take necessary action in case of an emergency.