Widespread rains, drop in temperature in Odisha: IMD

Bhubaneswar: Widespread unseasonal rains across Odisha brought down temperatures in the state while Sundargarh district administration on Thursday declared a holiday in schools and Anganwadi centres due to inclement weather, officials said.

There has been a remarkable change in the temperature as an average of 5 degrees Celsius drop in temperature was observed in some of the places in the state, said IMD weather scientist Umashankar Dash.

Though the state had not experienced winter till two days ago, it is now felt following the unseasonal rains. While Bhubaneswar recorded 18.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the lowest night temperature was recorded at 12.5 degrees Celsius at Koraput, 14.5 degrees Celsius at Kerei in Sundergarh district, Daringbadi and Sundergarh 15 degrees Celsius while Phulbani, Angul, Boudh, Nuapada and G Udaygiri recorded 16 degrees, MeT office said.

The IMD said that the low pressure area which is the remnants of cyclone Michaung was over Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas leading to overcast sky and inclement weather, a senior scientist at the MeT office said.

In a notification, the Sundergarh district administration said that the school authorities have been intimated regarding the decision to close down schools as moderate rain continues in the district since Monday, said District Education Officer Amulya Kumar Pradhan.

Meanwhile, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu has asked all district collectors to submit crop damage assessment report due to unseasonal rain by December 12.