Odisha shivers in biting cold

Biting cold tightened its grip over Odisha with the mercury plummeting to 3 degree Celsius in the tourist destination of Daringibadi in Kandhamal district, making it the coldest place in the state on Sunday.

As intense cold swept across Odisha, the mercury dipped below 10 degree Celsius in at least 18 places in the state, the meteorological centre here said.

State capital Bhubaneswar experienced the coldest day of the season recording 8.2 degree Celsius, down from 9.5 degree measured on Saturday. Neighbouring Cuttack city also shivered at 8.2 degree Celsius.

Daringibadi was followed by Phulbani, also in Kandhamal district, where the minimum temperature plunged to 4.5 degree Celsius, it said.

The mercury dipped to 5.6 degree Celsius in Angul, while it was 6 degree in Sonepur, 6.4 degree in Keonjhar, 6.5 degree in Bhawanipatna, 7 degree in both Titlagarh and Jharsuguda, 7.1 degree in Balangir, 7.2 degree in Koraput, 7.3 degree in Sambalpur, 8 degree in Sundargarh, 8.7 degree in Hirakud, 7.8 degree in Balasore, 9 degree in Baripada and 9.5 degree in Chandbali, it said.

The weatherman said that cold wave conditions are likely to prevail for the next few days.

The night temperature is likely to fall below normal by 3 to 4 degree Celsius during the next four days in the state, the met centre said.