Talcher records season's highest temperature

Times of India, April 19, 2009

BHUBANESWAR: Mercury in the mining and industrial town of Talcher in Angul district boiled over on Saturday, recording 44.3 degrees Celsius, the
season's highest in the state.

As the mercury shot up, so did the humidity level, as a result of which the town wore a deserted look. People preferred to remain indoors and sip home-made cold drinks.

Incidentally, in 2005, when the temperature shot up to 50 degrees Celsius, the mining operation in the area had been badly affected. The same was repeated this year.

Environmentalists attributed this sudden rise in temperature to excessive mining operation and afforestation.

Several other parts of the state on Saturday also recorded temperature over 40 degrees Celsius temperature, including Angul (43.7 deg C), Bolangir (43.4 deg C), Jharsuguda and Sundergarh (43.0 deg C), Hirakud (42.3 deg C), Malkangiri (41.8 deg C), Balasore (41.5 deg C), Bhawanipatna (41.2 deg C), Keonjhar and Chandbali ( 40.5 deg C). Mercury in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack touched 38.6 degress Celsius and 39.7 degrees Celsius respectively.

The Meteorological Centre here forecast heat wave conditions to prevail in some parts of the state in next two days. The officials have also warnd of a possible thunder squall in the coastal areas.

"Dry, hot wind is blowing from the north-western parts of India towards Orissa during the day and a susbsequent change in the wind direction with the absence of sea breeze are some of the major factors that led to the sudden rise in temperature," said Met office director S C Sahu.