BHUBANESWAR:  Stay buttoned up folks, there’ll be no respite from the biting cold for at least next five days in the State.The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast said the cold wave conditions in Odisha will continue till January 5 and dry weather is likely to prevail in most parts of the State. Ground frost will occur at one or two places in parts of Kandhamal as well as in southern districts, it added.

The cold wave conditions which have crippled normal life across the State for the last one week intensified on Monday with Daringibadi being the coldest place at 2.8 degree Celsius. Apart from Daringibadi, minimum temperature remained 3 degree C at Phulbani and 4.8 degree C in Koraput.

Twelve places which recorded below 10 degree C include Angul (5.6), Bhawanipatna (6), Titlagarh (6.5), Jharsuguda (6.8), Keonjhar (6.6), Sambalpur (7.5), Balasore (8.7) and Cuttack (8.8). The Capital City, where the night temperature had plummeted to an all time low on Sunday, shivered at 9.5 degree C on Monday.

Weather experts said the prevailing cold wave conditions is mostly because of the cold winds blowing from north and north-west India. Besides, clear sky and sharp decline in temperature both at surface and upper level of the atmosphere are creating favourable conditions for cold wave in the State, they said.