Warmth of summer gradually grips the State

Bhubaneswar(visakeo): With few days left for the festival of colour, holi, people of the State has already felt the heat of a good summer this year. The daily temperature since the beginning of March, 2008, which is considered as the first month of summer, has been recorded to be almost two degree higher than the corresponding period in 2007.

According to the city of the Indian Meteorological Department, the daily temperature during the last two weeks has been hovering between 34 degree Celsius and 36 degree Celsius while in 2007 it was between 31 degree Celsius and 33 degree Celsius.Similar was the situation in Cuttack,. The mercury level rose to the highest 37.4 degree Celsius in Cuttack on March 6 while it was recorded 33.1 degree Celsius the same day last year. Except coastal towns of Puri and Gopalpur, the daily temperatures recorded at Bhawanipatna, Titlagarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Balasore are on the higher side than the temperature on same day last year. However, the Met centre predicted that the summer could be a moderate one. "Heatwave for the year 2008 will not be as strong as 2005 but not as weak as 2006," it said. Heat wave conditions prevailed for 40 days in 2005 while it was less than a week in 2007. Daytime temperature has been continuously hitting 45 degree Celsius every year during last one decade. In 2003, the temperature touched 50.1 degree Celsius at Titlagarh, known as the hottest spot of the State.