Bhubaneswar: Winter has somewhat eased across Odisha as the mercury rose significantly in the last 24 hours, while shallow to dense fog occurred in several places in the state.
The night/minimum temperature was above 15°C in most places with Paradip recording 18.5°C, Puri (18.2°C), Gopalpur (18.1), Bhubaneswar (17.5°C) and Chhatrapur (17.4°C).
However, the night temperature was still around 10°C in several places, including G. Udayagiri (9.5°C), Daringibari (10.5°C), Rourkela (11°C), Jharsuguda (11.6°C), Phulbani (12°C), and Sundargarh (12.7).
Meanwhile, the regional office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar has forecast that the night temperature is likely to decrease by 2°C to 3°C from Sunday bringing in a fresh spell of winter chill across the state.
According to the weather office, dense fog occurred in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal on Thursday. Normal life was affected in these areas as visibility was reduced considerably. In most places, vehicular traffic was affected in the early hours of the day.
The IMD has issued a yellow fog warning for dense fog in five districts, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal, on Friday. Residents have been advised to exercise caution while travelling, especially during the early morning and late evening hours when fog is likely to be densest. Motorists are advised to use fog lights to ensure road safety.