February temperature in Bhubaneswar crosses 40 degree mark, highest in 58 years

Weather officials said the rise in maximum day time temperature in Bhubaneswar was due to several factors. On Wednesday, the capital city of Odisha recorded 38 degrees Celsius while on Thursday the maximum temperature recorded was 39.4 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country on both days.

Published on: Feb 26, 2021, 23:52:12 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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With the maximum temperature in Bhubaneswar touching 40.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, its highest temperature of February in the last 58 years, the state school and mass education department ordered that classes of students from class 9 to 12 be held from morning hours with effect from March 1.

After topping the temperature chart in the country for the last 2 days, the mercury in Bhubaneswar on Friday shot past 40 degree Celsius. (AFP PHOTO)

After topping the temperature chart in the country for the last 2 days, the mercury in Bhubaneswar on Friday shot past 40 degree Celsius. Though Jaisalmer in Rajasthan was the hottest city in the country with 43.1°C, in Bhubaneswar the maximum temperature was its highest for the month of February since February 23, 1963 when the mercury had climbed to 42.7 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday, the capital city of Odisha recorded 38 degrees Celsius while on Thursday the maximum temperature recorded was 39.4 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country on both days.

With other cities in the state recording a rise in daytime temperature, the school and mass education department announced that classes 9 and 11 would be held between 7 am and 9 am. Similarly, classes 10 and 12 will be held between 9 am and 11 am.

Weather officials said the rise in maximum day time temperature in Bhubaneswar was due to several factors. “A high-pressure zone extending up to Jharkhand and West Bengal exists over Bhubaneswar. Due to the presence of the high-pressure zone, the air parcels sink downward (towards Earth’s surface), and as a result adiabatic warming takes place. Moreover, factors like solar radiation (Insolation) and lighter wind add up to the heat. These phenomena together are behind the rise in city temperature to around 40 degree Celsius,” said IMD Bhubaneswar director HR Biswas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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