Odisha’s cold breaks 10-yr record, Phulbani coldest at 3.5 degree C

Bhubaneswar: With the mercury continues to drop below 10 degree Celsius in most part of the places in the past seven days, the cold in Odisha broke 10-year record on Wednesday.

The brutal cold was not experienced in Odisha since December 2014 when the cold conditions persisted for eight days with the temperature dipped below 10 degree Celsius in more than 10 cities.

The cold intensified across the state yesterday night with Phulbani and Daringbadi recorded 3.5 degree Celsius and 4 degree Celsius respectively.

There will not be major changes in the cold conditions in the state in the next few days, said Bhubaneswar MeT Director Sharat Chandra Sahoo.

The mercury continues to drop from the beginning of the New Year. While three cities recorded below 10 degree Celsius on January 1, seven cities had temperature below 10 degree Celsius on January 4. Later, 13 cities recorded below 10 degree Celsius on Jan 5, 6, and 7. The mercury dropped below 10 degree Celsius in 15 cities on Jan 8. While 15 cities recorded below 10 degree Celsius on Jan 9, yesterday the temperature fell below 10 degree Celsius in 14 cities, the IMD said.

People shivered under intense cold particularly during evening and night.

While the minimum temperature in Sundergarh was 6.5 degree Celsius, Hirakud 7.1 degree Celsius, Angul 7.6 degree Celsius, Keonjhar 7.9 degree Celsius, Jharsuguda 8 degree Celsius, Bhawanipatna and Balangir 8.2 degree Celsius, Sambalpur 8.3 degree Celsius, Sonepur 8.4 degree Celsius, Baripada 9 degree Celsius, Dhenkanal 9.1 degree Celsius, Balasore 9.4 degree Celsius, Cuttack 10 degree Celsius, Talcher, Koraput and Titilagarh 10.5 degree Celsius and Chandbali 10.6 degree Celsius. Bhubaneswar recorded 11 degree Celsius, Paradip 12.9 degree Celsius, Malkangiri 13.4 degree Celsius, Puri 14 degree Celsius and Gopalpur recorded the highest temperature at 14.1 degree Celsius yesterday night.

The conditions will continue for next 10 days, said Sahoo adding that the temperature is likely to drop by one or two degree Celsius from the minimum temperature during the next few days.

However, OUAT Vice Chancellor Surendranath Pashupalak predicted that there might be slight changes in the present cold conditions from today in the state. The cold conditions are likely to persist in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts.