Relief for Odisha: Summer not to be harsh this year

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Mar 27, 2015 at 4:34 PM Updated On : Mar 27, 2015 at 5:12 PM

Odisha Sun Times Weather Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 27:

The forecast by the Meteorological Department that the intensity of summer in Odisha this year would be much less than the previous year has brought a sigh of relief for the people of the state.

32 places in Odisha record day temperature at 40 Degrees Celsius or above; Bhubaneswar hottest with 43.6

29 places in Odisha record day temperature at 40 Degrees Celsius or above

So far, the temperature and relative humidity in the state has remained below average in March this year as compared to the previous years. The temperature in the first half of April is expected to hover around 38 degree Celsius in most parts of the state barring some places where it could touch 40 degrees, said Dr Sarat Sahu, Director of the Bhubaneswar centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In 2012 and 2014, the average temperature of the state was around 42 degrees during this period. The temperature, this year, has been less than 38 degrees.

While the highest temperature in the last 10 years was recorded in Bhubaneswar at 46.7 degrees, the temperature of the city has never crossed 38 degrees till March this year.

The drop in temperature in the state has been attributed to Nor’westers and north-western airflow from Pakistan. While the north-western airflow is expected to continue throughout April, sporadic rainfall triggered by the Nor’westers will keep the climate relatively cooler.

However, there might be a marginal rise in temperature around May, Sahu said.

According to Ramesh Kumar Nayak, a weather expert, the state is expected to get rainfall at many places in the last week of March due to formation of a cyclonic circulation 1500 metre abive the sea level along Odisha and Jharkhan. Under its influence, there would be rain or thundershower in some parts of the North Odisha in the next 24 hours and most parts of Odisha in the next 72 hours, he added.

Meanwhile, most parts of South Odisha, particularly Koraput and Phulbani districts, experienced moderate rainfall on Thursday.

While the maximum temperature was recorded at Bolangir at 39 degrees, average temperature remained at 31 degrees in the coastal areas of Puri, Gopalpur, Paradip and Baleswar.