As Odisha reels under heatwave, Met predicts mercury to hit 45°C in next 24 hours

Bhubaneswar (Odisha): As Odisha continued to be in the grip of a heatwave, the Met department held out no immediate hope of a respite as it forecast the maximum daytime temperature to hit 45°C over the next 24 hours.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a heatwave prevailed at a few places in the districts of Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Khordha, Nayagarh, and Ganjam of coastal Odisha, as well as one or two places in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Nawarangpur, and Keonjhargarh of interior Odisha.

The highest maximum temperature of 44.3°C was recorded at Boudh, and the lowest of 20.5°C was recorded at Phulbani in the plains of Odisha on Saturday, according to the IMD.

On Saturday, a heatwave was experienced in several parts of Odisha, with temperatures likely to hover between 44 and 45°C in Mayurbhanj, Boudh, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda over the next 24 hours.

Speaking to ANI, Manorama Mohanty, director, IMD Bhubaneswar, said, "Over the last four to five days, a heatwave has been prevailing in vast swathes of Odisha, and the condition will persist over the next two to three days."

"In 27 cities, the maximum temperature was recorded at more than 41°C. We have issued a heatwave warning for some areas over the next 24 hours. On April 21, the heatwave condition will continue to prevail mostly in coastal and interior Odisha," she said.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the state government announced that all the schools in the state will remain closed from April 18 to 20 in light of the IMD's heatwave forecast.

A yellow alert was issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Nayagarh, and Kandhamal.

Meanwhile, parts of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh also continued to be in the grip of a sultry spell on Saturday. In Varanasi and the adjoining regions of Purvanchal, the maximum daytime temperature reached close to 43°C, the IMD reported.

A heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather.

It is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, typically with high temperatures and often accompanied by high humidity. A heatwave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and normal temperatures for the season.