Bhubaneswar shivered through its coldest January day in the past seven years on Wednesday, as the mercury plunged to a chilling 10.2 degrees Celsius. This sharp drop, a significant 5 degrees below the normal minimum temperature, has triggered a sudden rush in the market for winter essentials like warm clothing, room heaters, and geysers.
Residents Struggle as Cold Wave Grips the Capital
The intense cold has upended daily life for the city's residents. Ratnakar Dash, a Nayapalli resident, shared his surprise, stating he never imagined needing a room heater during the day in Bhubaneswar. "Even in the living room, you shiver during the day," he said, adding that his family was suffering from sore throats due to the cold winds.
Another resident, Bikash Mishra, described the numbing effect of the cold, revealing that his family had to dig out stored winter clothes late on Tuesday night. "Our fingers felt numb and it was very difficult to walk barefoot in the home," he recounted. The cold has also impacted school attendance, with many children reporting runny noses, cough, and cold, according to a local teacher.
Market Dynamics Shift, IMD Issues Warnings
The weather has visibly altered the city's market scene. Many shopkeepers and street vendors began closing their shops earlier than usual. Some vegetable and grocery markets that typically operate until midnight were seen shutting down by 11:30 PM due to fewer customers. In contrast, tea and coffee shops enjoyed extended business hours as people sought warm beverages.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the minimum temperature dipped below 10 degrees Celsius at 23 places across the state, including Cuttack. The hill station G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district was the coldest in Odisha, recording a low of 3 degrees Celsius.
Extended Cold Spell Forecasted
Scientist and head of the regional IMD centre, Manorama Mohanty, attributed the plunge in night temperatures to an inflow of dry and cold winds across the state. Frost was reported in areas like the Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district.
The IMD has forecast that the cold conditions will persist for at least three more days and has issued a cold wave warning for 13 districts:
- Jagatsinghpur
- Cuttack
- Balasore
- Khurda
- Angul
- Jharsuguda
- Keonjhar
- Dhenkanal
- Sundargarh
- Kalahandi
- Kandhamal
- Sonepur
- Nabarangpur
This cold spell marks the most severe January chill since January 1, 2019, when Bhubaneswar's minimum temperature had dropped to 9.5 degrees Celsius.
