Heatwave continues in Odisha: Residents endure high humidity, rising mercury
Bhubaneswar, April 18: As Odisha continues to grapple with an unyielding heatwave, residents faced another day of uncomfortable weather on Thursday, with humidity levels reaching 73% in Bhubaneswar and 67% in Cuttack by 8:30 am.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has extended its forecast, indicating that the heatwave is likely to persist across the state until Saturday, with a slight alleviation expected from Sunday onwards due to the influence of Kalbaisakhi. Heatwave alerts have been issued for 19 districts, including Khurda and Cuttack.
Projections from the weather office suggest a further exacerbation of conditions, with temperatures set to rise by 2°C to 3°C in various areas over the next two days. Bhubaneswar may witness temperatures soaring to around 42°C today.
Severe heatwave conditions are anticipated in isolated pockets of districts like Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Anugul, and Nayagarh, while heatwave conditions are expected to prevail in one or two places in several other districts.
Hot and humid weather is anticipated across numerous districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati.
Typically, Odisha experiences around 11 days of heatwave between April and June, but this year's spell may last between 17 and 25 days, according to IMD projections. The weather office has cautioned that temperatures could soar to 45°C in certain areas during this period. The intensity of the heatwave has prompted the state government to declare a three-day closure of all schools from April 18 to 20.
However, relief is on the horizon as thundershowers and strong westerly winds are expected to bring respite starting from Sunday.
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