Foggy Koraput feels the chill

Koraput/BHUBANESWAR: Tuesday's sunrise had little impact on the dense fog and chilly winds that engulfed Koraput.The mercury touching 5.2 degree Celsius on Monday night set the tone for it.
Visibility was down to zero in many parts of the district, particularly on the national highway between Koraput and Sunki bordering Andhra Pradesh. The fog along with mist on windscreens made driving a nightmare.
"Nothing was visible around Monday midnight. So I parked my truck on the roadside near Sunabeda and switched on the parking light. Around 9 am when the fog cleared I resumed my journey cautiously," said Harnek Singh, a truck driver from Raipur who was going to Visakhapatnam.
Two-wheeler drivers were the worst affected. They not only had to brave the chill but also manouvre the dark and foggy roads. Sources said the cold wave was intense at Padwa, Nandapur, Pottangi and Narayanpatna forcing people to stay indoors.
There was some relief during the day as temperature touched 18.6 degrees Celsius though it was five degrees below normal. People huddled around bonfires both in urban and rural areas. Homeless people in Jeypore were the worst sufferers without any night shelter. "We have written to the state government for funds to build night shelters," said executive officer of Jeypore municipality Ranga Rao Kondagiri.
Cold wave conditions are prevailing in most parts of the state for the last several days. On Tuesday, the lowest temperature of 5.7 degree Celsius was recorded at Bhawanipatna. Bhubaneswar and Phulbani recorded a minimum temperature of 13.9 degree Celsius and 6.2 degree Celsius respectively.
"There will be heavy fog in most parts of the state on Wednesday and Thursday. We have issued a warning. There may be chances of rain at isolated places on Friday following which temperature will dip further," said director of India Meteorology Centre, Bhubaneswar, S C Sahu.