Bhubaneswar: Odisha is currently experiencing a sharp divide in weather conditions as a weakening winter overlaps with high daytime humidity, creating significant temperature fluctuations across the state.
While the early morning hours are gripped by dense fog that has slowed commutes in districts like Cuttack, Jajpur, and Khordha, the afternoons are seeing an unseasonal spike in mercury levels.
In the coastal belt, including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, temperatures are swinging by as much as 15 degrees within a single day. Early morning lows are hovering around 15 to 16 degrees Celsius, but clear skies and high insolation are pushing daytime peaks well above 30 degrees.
This sudden afternoon warmth, which has seen some areas hit 32 degrees, is significantly higher than the seasonal normal and signals a premature transition toward spring.
The interior districts are facing even more dramatic shifts. In northern and western Odisha, places like Jharsuguda and Rourkela reported minimum temperatures dropping near 9 degrees earlier this week, only for daytime temperatures to soar to 31 degrees by mid-afternoon.
Although the intense cold wave that impacted the region last week has abated, the India Meteorological Department notes that night temperatures in the north interior remain 2 to 3 degrees below normal, maintaining a biting chill after sunset.
Visibility remains the primary concern for travelers and school-goers. Shallow to moderate fog is expected to persist for the next few days, particularly in isolated pockets of coastal and interior Odisha.
Forecasters predict that while the chance of a severe cold wave is low until the end of January, the state will continue to see dry weather with daytime temperatures gradually rising by another 2 to 3 degrees, further widening the gap between the chilly mornings and warm afternoons.