Odisha winter chill intensified on Saturday as minimum temperatures fell below 15°C at six places, with Semiliguda in Koraput district recording the state’s lowest temperature at 12.2°C, according to the India Meteorological Department. The drop also brought sub-20°C night temperatures to several locations for the first time this winter, while dense fog reduced visibility in parts of the state.
G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district recorded the second-lowest minimum temperature at 12.5°C. In the plains, Phulbani reported the lowest reading at 14°C. Hirakud recorded a minimum temperature of 16.6°C, which was 1.9°C below normal.
The weather pattern was less severe in Odisha’s twin cities. Bhubaneswar recorded a minimum temperature of 19.8°C, or 0.4°C above normal, while Cuttack reported 19.4°C, which was 0.7°C above normal. The readings indicate a sharper fall in several interior and southern locations than in the coastal urban centres.
Fog emerged as an important operational concern in multiple districts. Koraput and Rourkela experienced dense fog, bringing visibility below 200 metres. Shallow fog was also reported in Jharsuguda and Phulbani. Reduced visibility can affect road movement and other early-morning travel, particularly in areas where commuters and freight traffic share state and district roads.
The regional IMD centre said there would be no major change in the prevailing minimum-temperature trend over the next four days. Manorama Mohanty, head of the centre, said temperatures would subsequently rise by two to four degrees Celsius under the influence of an expected cyclonic storm and associated cloud cover.
The IMD bulletin recorded an appreciable fall of about 2°C in minimum temperatures at isolated places over districts in south coastal Odisha. It also noted that temperatures were around 2°C below normal at one or two places in interior Odisha. At the same time, night temperatures remained around 2°C above normal at a few coastal locations and at isolated places in the interior. Some isolated areas in interior Odisha recorded temperatures about 3°C above normal.
This uneven pattern means that the winter experience is varying significantly across the state. Interior and hill locations are seeing sharper overnight cooling, while coastal cities remain relatively warmer. For urban residents, the immediate concerns are fog-related visibility during early travel and changing temperature conditions over the coming days. The IMD’s next forecast will determine how quickly the current chill gives way to warmer nights as cloud cover develops.
