Odisha is staring down the barrel of a blistering heatwave that may sweep several districts over the next three days, the Met office warned on Tuesday. The weather will be dry across the state, and hot winds are likely to intensify from the northwest. The mercury can touch 43 degrees Celsius in some areas, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.
The maximum temperature will gradually rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius during the next three days. It will be significantly above normal at many places during the next three-four days, a bulletin said. It issued a yellow warning of the second heatwave of the summer at some places in Boudh, Bolangir, Bargarh and Subarnapur for three days from Wednesday.
Such conditions are likely in Kalahandi, Angul and Sambalpur on Thursday and Friday. A yellow warning denotes that the conditions would continue for two days, during which people should avoid heat exposure. It is tolerable, but there is a moderate health concern for vulnerable people such as the elderly and infants.
The department advised people to take precautionary measures while going outside from noon to 3 pm in these areas. A heatwave is declared if the departure from the normal temperature is 4.5-6.4 degrees when the maximum reaches at least 40 degrees in the plains or 37 in the coastal weather stations. Few other criteria can also lead to its declaration.
The air temperature becomes fatal to the human body when exposed to a heatwave, according to the India Meteorological Department. There is no forecast for a heatwave in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, but the maximum may be around 38 degrees in the twin cities.
People should wear light clothes and avoid going outside during the afternoon unless necessary, the bulletin said. They can have fruits such as grapes and watermelon, replace intake of fizzy drinks with water to stay hydrated and be safe from heatstroke, the Health Department said.
Seventeen weather stations recorded a maximum of at least 38 degrees or above on Tuesday, while it was above 40 in seven places. Titilagarh town in Bolangir district logged 41.5 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state. The mercury in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was 36.5 in each.
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