Cold spell in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Jan 30: Odisha continued to reel under chilly weather on Sunday as a cold wave gripped some districts and the mercury dropped below normal at many places.

At least 16 weather stations logged a minimum temperature below 10 degrees Celsius as the northwesterly dry and cold winds prevailed over the region, a bulletin stated.

Similiguda in Koraput district was the coldest place in the state with 5.3 degrees Celsius, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.

Kandhamal district shivered in teeth-chattering cold as the district headquarter town of Phulbani recorded 6 degrees Celsius and it was 7 degrees at the Daringbadi hill station, it said.

The minimum dropped by 6.1 notches in Keonjhar and by 5.7 in Jharsuguda. Cold wave conditions also prevailed at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district.

The Met declares a cold wave when the minimum dips to at least 4 degrees in the plains, or 10 degrees and at least 4.5 notches below normal. For coastal stations, it should be 15 degrees Celsius or less, or the departure is at least 4.5 notches from normal.

Bhubaneswar recorded 11.2 degrees Celsius, 4.9 notches below normal, while it was down by 3.6 to settle at 11.6 degrees in Cuttack, the Met office said.

It warned that the cold wave would prevail in Kalahandi, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Bargarh, Nuapada, Bolangir and Subarnapur districts till Monday.

There will be no large change in the minimum temperature in the next 24 hours and it will rise gradually by 3-5 degrees Celsius subsequently, the Met added.