Rising mercury drives people indoors, boosts AC, cooler sales

Bhubaneswar: The gentle breeze that brought some relief over the past few days died down on Thursday, its place taken over by searing heat as temperature climbed in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. People in the twin cities woke up considerable discomfort on Thursday. It followed a beeline to shops selling electronic appliances amid rising demand for air conditioners and coolers.
The temperature in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was hovering between 32 and 35 degree celsius in the first week of April, but has now gone up by a couple of notches, resulting in doctors advising caution against summer ailments.
“After the very high temperatures in March, April was a lot cooler with sea breeze keeping the temperature low for the past few days. But on Thursday morning we woke up to a hot day. The temperature increased significantly during the day,” said Harshit Patnaik, a resident of Nayapalli.
Children felt the heat while returning from the school around 11am, when the mercury started picking up. “Children were not exposed to the harsh summer for the last two years due to Covid. Now, suddenly, they are out in the scorching heat,” said Samikhya Sahu, a parent of a Class V student.
On Thursday, Bhubaneswar recorded maximum temperature of 36.2°C while Cuttack recorded day temperature of 35.8. As mercury climbed, sales of air conditioners and coolers in the city also went up. Prices of all electronic items are likely to increase due to hike in cost of raw material, freight and transportation.
“We need three ACs for our newly constructed floor, but due to increased demand, the dealers are not ready to pay discount. With high temperatures in March and April, imagine what it will be in May and June,” wondered Pratap Kumar Nanda, a businessman.
Due to rising temperature people preferred to come out in the evening. Those who were out were seen gulping down cold drinks, ice creams, lassi and fruit juice. The onset of summer has led people to change their food habits and eating pakhala. Hotels and restaurants in the twin cities have also started serving pakhala with assorted side dishes.