Severe heatwave to grip Odisha from April 23–26, IMD issues alerts across several districts

Bhubaneswar, April 23: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Odisha, forecasting intense weather conditions including severe heatwave, hot and humid days, and unusually warm nights between April 23 and 26. The advisory follows soaring temperatures across the state, with Jharsuguda registering a record-breaking 46.2°C for April just a day earlier.

An orange warning for severe heatwave remains in effect for Jharsuguda till April 24. Warm night conditions are expected in parts of Sambalpur, Sundargarh, and Balangir on April 23–24, and in Mayurbhanj on April 24. Simultaneously, hot and humid weather is likely in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Keonjhar, and Dhenkanal.

Heatwave Warnings:

April 23:

Orange warning: Boudh, Balangir, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur

Yellow warning: Nuapada, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Deogarh, Angul

April 24:

Orange warning: Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, Bargarh

Heatwave: Kalahandi, Nuapada, Deogarh, Angul

April 25:

Yellow warning: Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Angul, Deogarh

April 26:

Yellow warning: Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Jharsuguda

IMD has advised people to avoid going out during peak hours (11 AM to 3 PM) due to risk of heat cramps and heat rashes. Strenuous outdoor activities should be scheduled during cooler parts of the day.

Maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 43°C in several districts, including Angul, Kalahandi, Bargarh, and Sonepur. However, a slight drop of 2–4°C in temperatures is expected after April 26.