Heat wave will scorch Odisha during peak election season
Bhubaneswar: Odisha is bracing for a scorching heat as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a significant jump in heat wave days during the April-May-June period. The state experiences around 11 heatwave days between April and June, but this year, 17 to 25 heatwave days could be recorded over the course of the three months.
In its seasonal outlook for the hot weather season (April to June), the National Weather Forecaster said Odisha is one of the eight states that will see an increase in summer days. Others are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, North Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
IMD Director General Mrityunjay Mohapatra said that usually in Odisha, heat wave lasts for one to three days in April, but this year the heat wave may last for two to eight days.
Mohapatra also pointed out that coastal areas experience humidity up to 65 per cent and the level further increases during May. “El Nino conditions will persist in April and May but will become neutral during the monsoon,” he said.
El Nino causes drier and hotter summers and this means that the country will see extreme heat in the coming days due to general elections. With voting beginning in mid-May, officials, political leaders, workers and voters will have to brave the scorching heat.
Heat wave in Odisha from April to June
There is a possibility of higher than normal maximum temperatures and heat waves in the state from April to June.
Maximum temperatures are likely to be above normal in most parts of the state during this period. There will be no respite from the heat even during the night, as the minimum temperature in the state is expected to remain above normal between April and June.
Meanwhile, the regional weather office has issued the first heat wave warning of this year for some places in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonpur, Kandhamal and Cuttack districts on Thursday and Friday.
Due to prevailing north-westerly/westerly dry wind and high solar insolation, maximum temperatures over Odisha are likely to rise by 2 degrees to 4 degrees Celsius during the next two days. Maximum temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius at many places and will be 3 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius above normal between Thursday and Saturday.
The weather office has advised citizens to take precautionary measures while going out between 11 am and 3 pm. The nights will also be warm in the state between Tuesday and Friday. The minimum temperature is expected to gradually rise by 2 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees Celsius during the next two to three days at many places in the state.
