Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to reel under cold wave conditions on Monday as minimum temperatures dipped below 10 degrees Celsius in at least 13 places across the State, severely affecting normal life, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The IMD has issued a five-day warning, stating that minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged across the State till the New Year.

While most places in the coastal region recorded minimum temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius, several southern and western districts remained under the grip of cold wave conditions. G Udaygiri in Kandhamal district recorded the lowest temperature at 3.6 degree Celsius, the IMD said.

According to the weather office, Kandhamal district has remained the coldest place in the State with lowest temperatures being recorded there since a fortnight. G Udaygiri was followed by Similiguda in Koraput district (5.2); Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal, recorded 5.5 degrees Celsius and the tourist spot of Daringbadi logged 6 degrees Celsius.

Other prominent places which recorded temperature below 10 degrees Celsius were Koraput (6.4), Jharsuguda (6.5), Rourkela (7), Angul (8), Kirei (8.7), Bhawanipatna (9), Sonepur and Keonjhar (9.8 each).

Meanwhile, the IMD also forecast dense fog during morning hours in several districts, including Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nayagarh. The IMD, however, said there could be a slight rise of 2–3 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures from January 1 onwards, depending on changes in wind patterns and atmospheric circulation.