Bhubaneswar:
Intense cold tightened it's grip over Odisha with Daringbadi in Kandhamal district recording a minimum temperature of 0.5 degree celsius on Thursday and mercury remaining 5 degree below normal at many places.
As foggy conditions prevailed at many places including the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Angul, Khurda, Puri and Phulbani, the met office in Bhubaneswar predicted further fall in temperature in next few days.
While the mercury dropped to 0.5 degree celsius at Daringbadi in Kandhamal, the district headquarter town of Phulbani recorded a minimum temperature of 3.2 degree celsius, official sources said.
Bhubaneswar recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degree celsius, while it was 5.5 degree in Baripada, 6.4 in Sundargarh, 7 in Balangir, 7.2 in Keonjhargarh, 7.8 in Jharsuguda, 8.6 in Angul and 9 degrees in Balasore, they said.
In Kandhamal, frost was noticed on roof tops and trees in areas like Simanbadi, Greenbadi, Sirkabarga, Padangi and Bhramarabadi Siangbali, the sources said.
In some parts in Balliguda sub-division fish and wild birds were found dead in ponds and forests due to the freezing cold for last two days, they said.
In several areas including Balliguda sub-division, people were forced to remain indoors after sunset and in morning hours due to the biting cold.
Normal life was affected due to the cold in Phulbani, Gudayagiri, Raikia, Tikabali, Balliguda, Kotagarh and Tumudibandha for the last two days.