Cold wave intensifies in Odisha, lowest temp in Daringibadi

Cold wave conditions intensified in Odisha as the mercury dropped to 4 degrees Celsius at Daringibadi in Kandhamal district today, making it the coldest place in the state and disrupting normal life.

While the picturesque Daringibadi recorded a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, the lowest so far this winter in the state, the mercury stood at 4.6 degrees Celsius at Phulbani, Kandhamal's district headquarters town, the local Meteorological Department said.

Piering cold swept most parts of the state as the minimum temperature fell below ten degrees Celsius in at least ten places, MeT officials said that cold wave conditions were likely to continue in Odisha for the next two days.
 

While the minimum temperature plummeted to 7.2 degrees Celsius at Bhawanipatna, it was 7.5 in Sundargarh, 7.6 at Sambalpur and Angul, 7.8 degrees at Hirakud, 8.1 degrees Celsius at Jharsuguda, 8.4 degrees at Koraput and 9.7 degrees Celsius in Balangir, they said.

Apart from Phulbani town and Daringibadi in Kandhamal, the cold wave conditions swept elsewhere in the district disrupting normal life in G Udayagiri, Balliguda, Kotagarh and Tumudibandha blocks.

Reports of fish and birds being found dead due to intense cold were received from different parts, particularly from the high-altitude areas of the region.

Light frost is expected at Belghar and Daringibadi in next few days where night temperature has dropped in the last four days, it said, adding there was a thin layer of snow at Belghar and Daringbadi areas in the last week of December last year.