IMD forecasts hot and sultry days for Odisha

Odisha is experiencing hot and sultry weather, which is likely to continue for four more days, the Met office said on Monday.

IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the possible cyclone forming in the Bay of Bengal will not have any direct impact on Odisha or any other state on the east coast as the system is likely to move towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu said in a Twitter post, "#Heatwave conditions/high day temperatures likely to prevail over various parts of the state tomorrow (9th May) as per alerts communicated by @mcbbsr." Regional Meteorology Centre, Bhubaneswar Director H R Biswas said that most parts of the state are likely to experience temperatures two to three degrees Celsius above normal during the next two days with no large charge thereafter.

Consequently, the mercury may soar to 40 degrees Celsius or more at a few places during the next four to five days.

"Odisha is likely to experience hot and discomfort weather during this period. People are advised to take precautionary measures while going outside," Biswas said.

As many as 14 places across the state on Monday recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius with Boudh becoming the hottest place in Odisha at 42 degrees Celsius.

Boudh was followed by Jharsuguda and Sambalpur (41.6), Rourkela (41.4), Angul (41.1), Sundergarh (41), Talcher (40.8), Bolangir and Jagatsinghpur (40.5), Titilagarh, Nayagarh, Sonepur and Kendrapara (40). State capital Bhubaneswar sizzled at 38.2 degrees Celsius while it was 39.5 degrees Celsius in Cuttack.

In another bulletin, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow warning, predicting thunderstorms with lightning in one or two places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts till 8.30 am on Tuesday.

While there are no warnings thereafter, coastal and southern districts are likely to experience light to moderate rain for the next five days, it said.