Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4°C yesterday, to be the first one to reach this mark in the year 2021. This maximum temperature in Bhubaneswar is the 3rd highest in the last 10 years. The blazing heat over the region has rocketed the temperature to remain 5°C above the normal levels. The humidity ratio is not very high and so the dry heat is sweeping the largest city of the state.
Gujarat, West Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha invariably become the hottest towards fag end of February. Cities like Phalodi (Rajasthan), Rajkot (Gujarat), Bhuj (Gujarat), Bramhapuri (Maharashtra), Titlagarh (Odisha) and Sambalpur (Odisha) run the heat race to score over each other. The locations around the tropic of cancer become the favourite to top the list. Last year, the capital city Bhubaneswar measured the highest of 34.6°C in the month of February which happens to be the lowest in the last 10 years. Since 2011, only on 4 occasions, Bhubaneswar recorded a high of 38°C or more and the highest being 40.9°C on 20th Feb 2016.
Heat conditions will continue to prevail at least for the next 3 days over the region and thereafter marginal relief looks likely. Anticyclone over the Bay of Bengal, off Odisha coast, has been displaced and dry winds have been sweeping the region. This semi-permanent feature will resume normal around 01st March, increasing the humidity level capturing excess heat and providing little comfort. Scorching conditions will be back again in Bhubaneswar after a short break of a couple of days. Sunny days without any significant cloud cover will again raise the bar and the mercury may breach the 40° mark earlier than normal in March.
