Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23: Umbrellas are already out with citizens battling the rising mercury. The meteorological office here recorded 38.4°C as the maximum temperature of the day.

February seems to be getting hotter, the trend having set in 2007 when the maximum recorded temperature during the month was 34.2°C. In 2009, it shot up to 40.4°C.

Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, S.C. Sahu said the rise in temperature in February was not a phenomenon limited to Bhubaneswar.

“Several other cities are also witnessing a rise in temperature,” said Sahu, adding that even the seaside town of Puri, which used to record cooler temperatures in February, today recorded a maximum temperature of 34.9°C. He attributed the phenomenon to global warming, apart from rapid urbanisation that was taking a huge toll on the green cover.

“The sun has been scorching for past three days,” said Sarmistha Jena, a college student. “If this is the situation in February, one wonders what would happen in the next three or four months,” said Manas Sahoo, who works at a private firm. The loss of greenery has only worsened the situation. In the past five years, thousands of tress have been cut in the city to make way for new roads.

While the authorities granted permission to fell 640 trees for eight-laning of the road from Master Canteen Square to Vani Vihar Square, another 689 trees were cut down to expand the stretch from Master Canteen Square to Sishu Bhavan Square. “The trees were a big help but they are all gone,” said Indramani Singh a 77 year old resident of Ashok Nagar.

Several water bodies, which once helped keep the city cool, have either disappeared or are lying encroached upon or neglected. “Smaller water bodies can help control the temperature. Without them, the situation is likely to aggravate further,” said N.K. Mahalik, a retired professor of Utkal University.

The state government remains oblivious to the encroachment of some of the water bodies by real estate developers, who want to raise skyscrapers by filling them up. However, Anant Narayan Jena, the mayor of Bhubaneswar, said that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation was planning to take up measures to revive some of the dead water bodies in the city.

The arrival of heat has, however, come as a boon for watermelon and sugarcane juice-sellers, who are doing brisk business.

Umbrella and sunglasses are also selling well. “A large number of people have bought watermelons in the last two days. The business is good,” said a smiling Harihar Pradhan, who sells the fruit at Kalpana Square.