Bhubaneswar: Several places in the state continued to reel from heatwave conditions with the state capital recording a temperature of 42.3°C, the highest in the state. Weathermen said that there would be no respite from heatwave conditions till the next 48 hours.
While the southwest monsoon had touched the state on June 8, two days ahead of its scheduled arrival, Odisha is yet to receive significant rainfall.
An official at the Regional Meteorological Centre said that the weakening of the southwest monsoon in the state was due to blowing of hot wind from the northwest direction, which has altered the course of the monsoon.
"The monsoon is likely to active again in the last of next week with formation of a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal," said a Met official.
According to the initial forecast by the India Meteorological Department, there will be normal monsoon this year with rainfall of about 96 to 104 per cent in the long-term average.
The heat had its effect on the residents here as the streets and roads wore a deserted look despite its being a Sunday. Most of the residents preferred to stay indoors due to the sultry weather condition.
"The water in the tanks is also getting too warm to take a bath. Even drinking water is a problem because of the heat. We were waiting for a pleasant rainy season, but the heatwave conditions are getting worse," said Nishikant Panda, a city resident.
In the prevailing heat and humidity, unscheduled power cuts made things worse.
"It is hard to believe that the monsoon had indeed touched the state. The situation was not so bad in May. The heat has become unbearable and we are eagerly awaiting a downpour," said Anita Jena, a city resident.
Bhubaneswar was not the only place to bear the brunt of the heat. Several places in the state recorded temperature of 40°C and above. Temperature breached the 40°C mark at places such as Chandbali (40°C), Cuttack (40.2°C), Balangir (40.6°C), Angul (41.3°C), Baripada (40.4°C) and Bhawanipatna (40.2°C).
However, there are chances of a thunderstorm at isolated parts of the state with strong and gusty surface winds reaching 40-50 kmph along and off the Odisha coast.
