Cold Wave Grips Odisha: Twin Cities Shiver at 13°C, Interior Districts Hit Season’s Lowest

Odisha is reeling under an intense cold wave as temperatures plummet across the state, marking one of the sharpest drops of the season.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), interior districts have recorded minimum temperatures well below 10°C, with G. Udayagiri in Kandhamal district reporting the lowest at 5.8°C in the past 24 hours.

Semiliguda in Koraput registered 7.4°C, Daringbadi touched 8°C, and Phulbani dropped to 9°C. Even the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, usually warmer, felt the chill as mercury levels dipped to around 13°C.

Meteorologists attribute the sudden plunge to the continued flow of cold north-westerly winds from northern India, causing temperatures to fall 5–7°C below normal in districts such as Koraput, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Khordha, and Jharsuguda.

Coastal areas, typically milder, are also experiencing conditions 3–5°C below average.

The IMD has forecast that the cold wave will persist for the next 72 hours, after which minimum temperatures may rise by 2–3°C as wind patterns shift.

Meanwhile, Kandhamal remains the coldest zone, with dense fog, biting winds, and frost-like conditions reported in several areas.

Residents are delaying morning travel due to poor visibility, and schools in interior regions have reported lower attendance as children struggle with the sudden chill.

With more than a dozen locations now below 12°C, the IMD has continued its cold wave alert for interior Odisha, urging residents to take precautions against the biting cold.