Bhubaneswar: Odisha continues reel under an intense cold wave as the mercury plummeted below 10° at 16 places in the state. Moreover, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rainfall in some pales from January 1 to 3.
As per a Met bulletin, lowest minimum temperature of 5.4°C was recorded at Sonepur, while the highest temperature of 30.0°C was recorded at Malkangiri.
The other 15 places where the temperature dropped below 10°C are- Angul (5.6°C), Phulbani (6.3°C), Titlagarh (6.5°C), Daringbadi (7°C), Keonjhar (7.4°C), Bolangir (8.5°C), Sundargarh (8.5°C), Balasore (8.5°C), Sambalpur (8.7°C), Jharsuguda (8.9°C), Bhawanipatna (9°C), Koraput (9.2°C), Talcher (9,4°C) and Cuttack (9.5°C).
The Met department, however, said that the temperature is likely to go up slightly during next few days from Tuesday as there will be rain in some parts of the state till January 3.
Few places in Nuapada, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Keonjhar districts will witness light to moderate rain or thunder shower on the New Year day.
Similarly, the IMD said thunderstorm with lightning and hail is likely to occur at one or two places in Sundergarh, Deogarh, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Keonjhar, Khurda and Mayurbhanj districts, January 2.
On January 3, coastal Odisha along with Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts will experience thunderstorm with lightning, it said.
The weather forecast department also said that light to moderate rain will occur in northern and southern districts during the period.