Bhubaneswar, Jan 3: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued an orange warning for dense fog in four districts of Odisha—Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Cuttack and Khordha—as severe winter conditions continued to disrupt normal life across the state.
The IMD said dense fog is likely to prevail across Odisha for the next four days, significantly reducing visibility in several areas. In many places, visibility dropped to as low as 50 metres, affecting road traffic and air operations.
Cold conditions have intensified across the state, with minimum temperatures remaining below 12 degrees Celsius in several districts.
Phulbani recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 7.5 degrees Celsius during the last 24 hours, while Cuttack recorded 12 degrees Celsius and Bhubaneswar 12.5 degrees Celsius, IMD data showed.
According to the regional meteorological centre, temperatures are expected to rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the next two days.
However, this brief relief will be followed by a drop of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius, bringing back bone-chilling cold conditions.
The IMD said dense fog conditions are likely to persist across the state till January 6.
Flight operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar were also disrupted due to poor visibility caused by the fog and cold wave conditions.
As a precautionary measure, authorities have ordered the suspension of boat operations in Chilika Lake till 11 am to prevent accidents amid dense fog.
The IMD has advised people to remain cautious during early morning hours, particularly while travelling, as winter weather conditions continue to pose challenges across Odisha.
