Bhubaneswar, 7/1 : Odisha is currently in the grip of a severe cold wave, with temperatures plummeting across the state and bringing life to a near standstill in many regions| The capital city, Bhubaneswar, has experienced a dramatic drop in mercury, recording its coldest night of the ongoing winter season as the minimum temperature plunged to 10.2 degrees Celsius| This marks a significant fall of 7.2 degrees Celsius within just three days, according to reports from the India Meteorological Department (IMD)|
The biting cold has intensified across Odisha, with Phulbani in Kandhamal district emerging as the coldest place, registering a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius| Close behind, Rourkela shivered at 5.1 degrees Celsius, while Jharsuguda recorded 5.4 degrees Celsius| Other districts also reported exceptionally low temperatures, with G Udayagiri in Kandhamal recording a chilling 3 degrees Celsius and Semiliguda in Koraput at 4.1 degrees Celsius| Even the dense forests of Similipal have not been spared, with Upper Barakamuda recording a freezing 0 degrees Celsius and Chahala at 2 degrees Celsius|
In Bhubaneswar, the sharp decline in temperature has been particularly noticeable| Data reveals a steep fall in night temperatures over the past three days| On January 4, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius, which slightly dipped to 18 degrees on January 5, before falling further to 15.4 degrees on January 6, and finally plunging to 10.2 degrees Celsius on January 7| This rapid drop has left residents bundling up to brave the intense chill, with mornings turning particularly harsh due to dense fog and biting winds|
The cold wave conditions are attributed to the continuous inflow of dry and cold northerly winds sweeping across the state| The Regional Meteorological Centre (IMD) in Bhubaneswar has warned that cold wave conditions are likely to persist for another three to four days, with night temperatures expected to drop further by 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius across both hilly and coastal regions| Additionally, the weather department has issued a yellow warning for isolated pockets in districts such as Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Khurda, Angul, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Sonepur, and Nabarangpur till January 9 morning| Dense fog is also forecast for several places, including Boudh, Nayagarh, and Koraput, which may disrupt road and rail travel|
The intensity of the cold has also led to historical records being broken| Jharsuguda, for instance, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.1 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, marking the lowest temperature for the month of January in the last 73 years, a record previously held since 1953, as confirmed by Manorama Mohanty, Head of the Regional Meteorological Centre (IMD) in Bhubaneswar| The severe cold has prompted authorities to issue advisories, urging residents to take necessary precautions against the harsh weather conditions|
