Bhubaneswar: While the monsoon has hit Kerala, several regions in Odisha are boiling due to an alarming rise in day temperatures (maximum temperature). The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional center in Bhubaneswar predicted that heatwave conditions will likely prevail in Odisha’s interior and western districts until June 10.
The weather office issued an orange alert for severe heatwave conditions in six districts of Odisha on Friday. They include Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sonpur, Boudh, Kandhamal, and Bolangir. The Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu said a severe heatwave will prevail in nine Odisha districts today. Similarly, a yellow warning for heatwave has been issued for 10 Odisha districts – Sundargarh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Khurda, Ganjam, Gajapati, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Malkangiri.
As the daytime temperatures are likely to soar above 40°C in many places on Friday, people, especially the elderly, sick, children and pregnant women, have been advised to avoid leaving their homes between 11 am and 4.00 pm.
Meanwhile, the IMD has predicted scattered rain in some places on Friday. Overall, the weather will remain hot and humid with warm nights, the IMD said.
The weather models indicate that the onset of monsoon over Odisha and nearby regions might not happen before June 10 even as the hot wind flow from the northwestern part of the country is expected to continue for a week or more, CEC Director Sarat Chandra Sahu said.
The higher moisture content in the atmosphere would prevail over the coastal plains causing discomfort, he said, adding there was the probability of norwester, locally known as Kalbaisakhi, in Bhubaneswar and its neighbourhood within the next one or two days.
The monsoon current, he said, had already set in over Kerala, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands and the northeastern states causing moisture accumulation over Odisha.
Norwesters, comprising moderate rain, thunder, and lightning, could occur at sporadic locations of coastal Odisha and adjoining districts within the next two to three days which could favour the removal of excess moisture from the atmosphere decreasing the level of discomfort.
Meanwhile, the IMD bulletin said at least 19 locations in Odisha on Thursday recorded day temperatures above 40°C with 12 stations recording the highest day temperature of above 44°C. The industrial town of Jharsuguda in western Odisha became the hottest place in Odisha with the day temperature rising to a record 47°C.
