April 25th 2024.
The heat wave in Odisha has been a cause for concern as it shows no signs of letting up. According to the Centre for Environment and Climate of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, the weather conditions in the region are being influenced by the climate in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is expected to continue for at least a week or maybe even ten days.
The Director of CEC, Sarat Chandra Sahu, explained that the maximum day temperature in the northern districts of Odisha has been fluctuating between 43 to 45 degrees Celsius. In the southern districts, it has been hovering around 41 to 43 degrees Celsius. These conditions are a result of the continuous formation of meteorological systems over Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have been causing heavy rainfall in those areas.
These systems have either remained stationary or moved slightly towards the northwestern states of India, thus impacting the weather conditions here. As a result, there has been a lack of major rain-bearing systems over central and eastern India, including Odisha. This has led to the flow of dry, hot winds from the central plains into eastern India, prolonging the heat waves in Odisha.
According to Sahu, the current system over Pakistan and its adjoining regions may slowly move towards eastern India and cause rain and thunderstorms in coastal and nearby districts on May 1. This could lead to a drop in temperature by 3 to 4 degrees, although the heat is expected to increase again from May 4.
The neighbouring country of Pakistan has been experiencing bad weather with heavy rainfall for the past 15 to 20 days, even in areas known for extreme heat during the summer. This has affected the flow of sea breeze from the Bay of Bengal, which has not been as strong as usual despite the presence of an anti-cyclone.
In Odisha, as many as 35 cities have recorded day temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, with five cities registering temperatures over 43 degrees Celsius. Jharsuguda, a major industrial area in Western Odisha, has been the hottest place in the state with a day temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius. Other cities like Baripada, Nuapada, Talcher, and Boudh have also been experiencing high temperatures.
Even the state capital, Bhubaneswar, which has been facing an unprecedented rise in day temperature and has been the hottest place in the state on three occasions in the past few days, recorded a temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius today. The situation is a cause for concern and authorities are keeping a close eye on the weather conditions to ensure the safety and well-being of the people in the affected areas.
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