Capital records 10.2°C, coldest Jan day in 7 yrs

Bhubaneswar: The capital city recorded 10.2°C on Wednesday, the coldest day in Jan in the past 7 years, leading to a spurt in the sale of warm clothes, room heaters and geysers. The minimum temperature was a sharp 5°C drop compared to normal. IMD sources said on Jan 1, 2019, minimum temperature in the city had dropped to 9.5°C.City residents, who usually used light warm clothes in Jan, have to buy more warm outfits and electronic gadgets that gave them much-needed relief from the cold. “Even in the living room, you shiver during the day. I never thought in Bhubaneswar I would have to buy a room heater to keep the room warm even in the day because my father felt uncomfortable. Also, everybody in the house is suffering from sore throat due to the cold wind blowing outside,” said Ratnakar Dash, a resident of Nayapalli.The scene in the markets also changed. Shopkeepers and street vendors could be found shutting shops up a bit early. Some vegetable and grocery markets that are usually open till midnight, were seen shutting operations at 11:30 pm, half an hour early, as fewer people were visiting the market.However, tea and coffee shops were found doing business till late in the night. “Late on Tuesday night, we felt that the temperature won’t rise. We opened the almirah to use more warm clothes that were stored in the house. Our fingers felt numb and it was very difficult to walk barefoot in the home,” said Bikash Mishra, another resident.The IMD report said the minimum temperature at 23 places, including Cuttack city, dipped below 10°C. Hill station G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district was the coldest in the state at 3°C.The IMD forecast said the cold conditions would continue for at least three more days. It has issued coldwave warning for 13 districts. These are Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Khurda, Angul, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Sonepur and Nabarangpur.Scientist and head of the regional IMD centre Manorama Mohanty said the inflow of dry and cold wind supported the drop in night temperature across the state. There were also reports of frost covering fields and grounds at places like Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday. Attendance of children in schools also dipped due to the cold, while many kids complained of a runny nose, cough and cold, admitted a school teacher.