The town of Jharsuguda in Odisha woke up to a historic chill on Tuesday, recording a bone-numbing minimum temperature of 5.1 degrees Celsius. According to scientist and head of the regional IMD centre, Manorama Mohanty, this is the lowest temperature the town has seen in the month of January in the last 73 years.
A Record-Shattering Chill
The last time Jharsuguda experienced such severe cold in January was back in 1953. This wasn't just an isolated record; the town also witnessed the state's highest daily drop in night temperature, plummeting 6.7 degrees Celsius below the normal range. The cold grip extended across Odisha, with at least twelve other towns recording daytime temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. The state capital, Bhubaneswar, also felt the nip, with its minimum temperature dropping to 12.9°C, which is two degrees below normal.
IMD's Grim Forecast and Warnings
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no immediate relief from the freezing conditions. It has issued a cold wave warning likely to persist for the next three to four days. Six districts—Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Koraput, Angul, Cuttack, and Jagatsinghpur—are under this warning from Wednesday. Adding to the woes, a dense fog warning has been issued for four districts on Wednesday, which is expected to severely disrupt visibility and daily life.
Explaining the meteorological reason behind the plunge, Manorama Mohanty stated that a change in wind pattern from north-easterly to northerly is supporting the drop in night temperatures across the state. This condition is predicted to continue for the next three to four days.
Widespread Impact and Disruptions
An official IMD bulletin highlighted that the minimum temperature observed a marked fall of about 4°C to 6°C at one or two places and an appreciable fall of about 2°C to 4°C at a few other places in Odisha. The cold wave has been accompanied by dense fog, causing significant visibility issues. On Tuesday, dense to very dense fog reduced visibility to 50 metres and below in the towns of Boudh, Nayagarh, Koraput, and Phulbani, posing risks for transportation and early morning commuters.
Residents are advised to take necessary precautions against the cold, especially early in the morning and late at night. The IMD continues to monitor the situation closely, urging people to stay updated with the latest weather bulletins.
