Cold conditions will grip Odisha from Dec 20, chill may greet New Year Day!

Bhubaneswar: Severe cold conditions will grip Odisha from the fourth week of December and will continue till the New Year Day.

Though the State will remain mainly dry till the New Year Day, isolated places in coastal districts ranging from Puri to Gopalpur may witness some light rainfall during the week number four in December.

As per IMD forecast, night time temperature will hover at around 8 -11 degree Celsius at  isolated places in the districts of Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bargarh, Sonepur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur and Mayurbhanj till December 12. The minimum temperature in other districts will remain at around 11-14 degree Celsius, except at places in southern and northern coastal districts.

The capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, will record a night time temperature of 15-17 degree C till December 12.

However, the next weekend will see the minimum temperature rising to around 16-17 degree Celsius in all districts, except Sundargarh, Nuapada, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur Deogarh, Angul and Mayurbhanj where the minimum temperature is predicted to remain at around 11-14 degree Celsius.

But intense cold conditions will grip the entire State from Dec 20 onwards and stay so till the New Year Day. If IMD forecast is to be believed,  the average night time temperature on New Year Day in whole of the State may be at around 11-14 degree Celsius, except the south interior districts where average minimum temperature is predicted to remain at around 17 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, after five places recording sub 10 degree Celsius on December 6, night time temperature in State has become little warmer on December 7.

Four places have recorded sub 10 degree C on Saturday. While  Daingibadi has recorded State’s lowest temperature of 6.5 degree C on Dec 7, places like Phulbani, Angul and Sonepur have recorded minimum temperature below 10 degree C.

Bhubaneswar, the capital city, has been bit warmer on Saturday as the minimum temperature has risen to 16.4 degree C from 12.8 deg C on December 6. The minimum temperature of Bhubaneswar has been recorded marginally higher than the normal minimum temperature for the month of December.

As per the predictions, the minimum temperature in the Capital City will hover at around 17 degree Celsius till December 19.