Odisha heatwave: Odisha government has declared summer vacations in all schools in the state from April 25 (Thursday), in view of prevailing heatwave conditions in the state. From April 22 to 24 the schools will run from 6.30 am to 10.30 am.
Till 2.30 pm on Sunday, the highest temperature recorded in the state's Jharsuguda and Keonjhar towns was 43.6 deg C. Six other places have recorded a maximum temperature above 40 deg C. They were Hirakud (41.8 deg C), Rourkela (41.8), Sambalpur (41.7), Bhubaneswar (41.6), Chandbali (41.6) and Balasore (40.5 deg C), IMD scientist Umashankar Das said.
Several parts of Odisha reeled severe heatwave on Saturday (April 20), with the mercury breaching the 43-degrees Celsius mark at 10 places, the Met Department said. According to the evening bulletin issued by the IMD in Bhubaneswar, Boudh in western Odisha and Baripada in the northern region were the hottest places in the state, as both recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2 degrees Celsius.
Nuapada registered 44 deg Celsius, followed by Talcher and Balangir (43.6 deg C each), Nayagarh, Angul and Keonjhargarh (43.5 deg C each), Jharsuguda 43.2 deg C and Hirakud 43.1 deg C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast no major change in the maximum temperatures during the next 24 hours in Odisha. It has issued an ‘orange’ warning (be updated), as heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are very likely at one or two places in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Angul, Boudh, Cuttack and Keonjhar on Sunday.
IMD heatwave warning
Speaking to media, 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.
Yellow alert issued
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.
ALSO READ: Odisha: Boat carrying over 57 capsizes, seven dead bodies recovered after hours of rescue operation
ALSO READ: Odisha: Ex-Congress MLA sells land to fund daughter’s poll expenses amid lack of support from party
