Bhubaneswar: With the onset of February, the mercury has already started soaring across Odisha and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that hotter days are ahead.
While the maximum temperature in Odisha touched 35°C on Tuesday, the minimum temperature was as high as 24°C. As many as 13 districts in Odisha recorded day temperatures of above 33°C on Tuesday. The weather office has predicted that the temperatures may further go up by 3°C to 7°C in the coming days as warm air is flowing into the state due to the El Nino effect.
Odisha experienced one of the coldest winters this year and similarly, the heat experienced now is also unusual in the first week of February. Overall, the entire state is witnessing hot and dry weather and the conditions are unlikely to change soon, the weather office predicted.
Meanwhile, the IMD has said that several parts of Odisha may experience light rain/thundershower from January 10 to 13. Interior Odisha is likely to receive more rain than the coastal areas.