Bhubaneswar, March 25: The regional meteorological centre here has predicted that the mercury level will cross the 40°C mark in the city within the next few days.
The Met centre has already issued a warning that heat wave conditions will prevail along the coastal belt, including the state capital, during the next week.
The city recorded the maximum temperature of 39.3°C yesterday.
The Met's weather bulletin said the tendency of rise in day temperature was likely to prevail for a week in the state. "Rise in temperature may be experienced in coastal districts, but sea-breeze conditions will also prevail in the coastal region," said the bulletin.
Met director Sarat Chandra Sahu said the rise in day temperatures was mainly due to advection of heat by northwesterly and westerly dry and hot winds. "The dry and hot wind continued to prevail in the state which is contributing to the rise in the mercury levels," said Sahu.
He also forecast slight relief for people in Bhubaneswar in the evenings because there were indications of thundersquall with wind speed reaching up to 50kmph, but the temperature during the day will be high.
According to the daily weather bulletin, rain or thundershower may occur at one or two places in the coastal pockets over the next 48 to 72 hours. The maximum temperature may plunge from April 1 prominently across the state including the state capital.
The meteorological centre recorded temperatures above 40°C at seven places in the state yesterday. These are Balangir (41.5), Angul (41.1), Talcher (41), Titilagarh (40.6), Jharsuguda (40.5), Sambalpur (40.2) and Bhawanipatna (40.2) yesterday. The average maximum temperature in the state remained was around 38°C.
"It is the end of March, which usually marks the onset of summer, and the we are already having temperatures higher than 40°C. This is quite unbelievable. This is the result of rapid urbanisation and destruction of trees and water bodies. There has to be joint efforts by all of us to avoid this horrific situation," said environmentalist Sailabala Padhi.
Fruit juice and soft drink sellers are among the few people who are happy with the hot weather.
Vendors selling such products are already setting up makeshift kiosks around the city.
"Business had been down suring the past few days due to untimely rain. But the temperature is steadily rising now and our business is growing proportionately," said Giridhari Mohanty, who sells lassi.
