IMD forecast return of cold wave in Odisha

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday forecast return of cold wave in Odisha within the next two days as many places across the state experienced rainfall and thundershower since Friday.

The minimum temperature is likely to fall gradually by 4 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius across various districts in Odisha and the maximum temperature likely to be below normal till Monday, the IMD said in its mid-day bulletin on Saturday.

The bulletin also warned of dense fog in the state on Sunday.

This apart, the IMD said that many places in interior and coastal Odisha where rainfall has occurred since Friday will also witness dense fog due to the presence of enough moisture in the atmosphere, the IMD said.

The condition will prevail till January 6, it said.

"There will be rainfall at isolated places in the entire coastal belt and one or two places in the districts of Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Balangir, Keonjhar, Sonepur, Angul, Dhenkanal and Bargarh on Saturday" the IMD said.

Since Friday, the highest rainfall was recorded in Talcher at 58 mm followed by Balasore (22.4), Keonjhar (14.8), Angul (12.6), Bhubaneswar (12.3), Phulbani (9.4) and Bhawanipatna (9.2).

Meanwhile, the state government has asked the district collectors to take measures to save people from the cold wave and paddy from the rain.

Paddy cultivation has been severely hit in many coastal districts.

"The district collectors have been asked to submit reports on the crop loss due to unseasonal rains," said revenue and disaster management minister Sudam Marndi.