Bhubaneswar: The regional meteorological centre here on Thursday warned of intensifying cold wave conditions across state, including the capital, over the next 24 hours.

The Met centre has predicted that dry weather conditions will continue till mid-January with the minimum temperature going down below 10°C in most parts of Odisha.

"The skies will remain clear and the flow of chilly winds from the northeast will remain smooth. This will contribute to a dip in night temperature while the day temperature will remain constant at an average of 26°C," said Met director Sarat Sahu.

Sahu said there might be a slight relief from the condition around January 10, but it might be of minimum effect. "There are no indications of any system over the sea as of now. Since there will be no hindrance in the wind flow, this condition will continue," said the weatherman.

People, mainly on the city outskirts, are already feeling the chill. "It is chilly during the nights and early mornings. The fog is not so dense but the temperature is low. I think this is the first time that the city is witnessing such low temperatures this season," said Sampur resident Bibhudatta Mohapatra.

The state capital recorded a minimum temperature of 12.4°C which, according to weather experts, is the third lowest for the city this season. They said the minimum temperature in the state capital was likely to go down below 10°C in the next few days.

"Climate change is rapid and it is evident. Winter usually comes during November, December and parts of January, but this time we are witnessing a proper winter only in the concluding month of the season. This is because of global warming and a warning that we should act immediately," said environmentalist Alok Kar.