Bhubaneswar: Odisha sizzled Monday as the mercury touched 37.2 degrees Celsius in Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda at noon and weathermen predicting a further increase in day temperature.
Chandbali recorded 37 degrees Celsius followed by Balasore and Sambalpur (36), Hirakud (35.4), Keonjhar (35), Puri (34), and Paradip (32.8).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a rise in temperature in different parts of the state in the next five days.
“A significantly higher number of heatwave days are predicted over parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mahapatra said.
Around 30 places in Odisha had recorded a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and more Sunday with the maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius at Baripada followed by Jharsuguda at 39 degrees Celsius.
The temperature is rising as there has been a decline in thunderstorms, and seasonal showers, said US Dash, a scientist at Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.
Dash said the normal temperature at many places in the state will touch 40 degrees Celsius by April 12.
“The day temperature will increase by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius at some places during the next two to three days,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government has announced morning classes for students from Class 1 to Class 12 from April 11. The timing of morning classes will be from 7 am to 11.30 am.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in its Sunday evening bulletin issued a thunderstorm warning for several districts for Monday.
“Thunderstorm with lightning very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri,” it said.
PTI
