Cold wave conditions in 8 Odisha districts: IMD

As parts of Odishaexperienced severe cold wave conditions, the IndiaMeteorological Department on Wednesday issued a fresh warningon continuance of chilly weather in eight other districts innext 24 hours, official sources said.

The districts which have been identified to experiencethe cold wave conditions are: Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh,Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.

Phulbani in Kandhamal district was the coldest placein the state at 5 degree Celsius, followed by Daringbadi (7),Kerei (8), Nabarangpur (8.3), Koraput and Keonjhar (9 each),Deogarh, Jharsuguda and Bhawanipatna (9.2 each), Bolangir(9.4), Nuapada (9.9) and Sundergarh (10), the met office said.

The twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar recordedminimum temperature at 12 and 13.3 degree Celsiusrespectively, the Met office said.

Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Bhawanipatna and Phulbaniexperienced cold waves and severe cold wave conditions whileMalkangiri witnessed heavy fog.

Meanwhile, the IMD has suggested infants and elderlyto avoid prolonged exposure to cold during night or early inthe morning.

It said that there will be no large change in minimumnight temperature and it will be below normal by 3 to 5 degreeCelsius at many places over the districts of Odisha duringnext 24 hours. The temperature will rise subsequently in thenext 2 days by 3 to 4 degrees, it said in a release.

''The minimum temperature will, however, again fall by2-3 degrees Celsius from February 8 over the districts ofOdisha,'' the release said.

The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena in aletter to all district collectors and the commissioners ofdifferent municipal corporations suggested taking measures tosave people from the cold wave conditions.