Jharsuguda emerged as the hottest location in Odisha on Sunday, registering a sweltering 44.8 degrees Celsius as heatwave conditions gripped the state’s western region, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Seven locations across Western Odisha recorded temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius or higher. Jharsuguda (44.8 degrees Celsius) was followed by Sonepur at 43.7, Titlagarh at 43.6, Bhawanipatna at 43.4, Bolangir at 43.1, and both Boudh and Sambalpur at 43 degrees Celsius.
Other high-temperature zones in the western region included Sundergarh (42.8), Rourkela (42.7), Nuapada (42.5), Hirakud (42.4), Angul (41.9), Talcher (41.5), and Nayagarh at 42.5 degrees Celsius, the IMD report stated.
The IMD’s evening bulletin said that at least 17 locations throughout Odisha recorded maximum temperatures at or above the 40-degree mark.
Coastal areas, however, experienced some relief. Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius, while Cuttack saw the mercury reach 35 degrees Celsius.
An IMD official said a marginal temperature drop of at least one degree Celsius across the coastal belt, though high relative humidity levels continued to cause significant discomfort for residents.
Manorama Mohanty, Director of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, attributed the fall in temperature in coastal districts to moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal. She added that daytime temperatures in these regions are not expected to rise significantly over the next 24 hours.
In Monday’s forecast, the IMD said hot and humid conditions are very likely to prevail at 11 districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati.
The weather office also issued a yellow warning (be aware) of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface wind (wind speed reaching up to 30-40 kmph) likely to occur in the afternoon/evening hours over the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Balasore on Monday.
In a related development, the public grievance hearing session led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, scheduled for Monday, April 27, has been postponed due to the intense heatwave sweeping the state, as stated in an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
“To ensure the safety and well-being of visitors and staff amid the extreme temperatures, the Monday hearing session is hereby postponed,” an official said, adding that the next date and schedule for the grievance hearing will be announced later.
Meanwhile, the state government has also advanced summer vacations for schools, which will begin from Monday (April 27).
