Cold conditions are set to intensify acrossOdisha, with the entire State likely to shiver under falling temperatures.

According to the India Meteorological Department, there will be a further drop in night temperatures by 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the next four days, starting from Tuesday.

As per reports, the intensity of cold has increased in both the hilly and plain areas of Kandhamal and Koraput districts in the past 24 hours. The Meteorological Centre has predicted that cold conditions will continue to prevail over interior Odisha as well as the southern parts of the state.

Along with the cold wave, the State is also expected to witness the impact of dense fog. During the last 24 hours, dense fog was reported in Boudh district, where visibility dropped to as low as 20 metres. Similar foggy conditions were also observed in Bolangir, Koraput and Kandhamal districts.

The Meteorological Department has further predicted that many districts of Odisha will experience dense fog during the morning hours for the next four days, advising people to remain cautious, especially while travelling.

"As many as 15 places in the State recorded minimum temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius or below in the last 24 hours, indicating a sharp intensification of the cold wave conditions. Jharsuguda emerged as the coldest place in the plains, registering a minimum temperature of 5.1 degrees Celsius during the period. Among the hill stations, G. Udayagiri recorded the lowest temperature at 6.8 degrees Celsius. A warning has been issued for light to dense fog in several parts of the State. Foggy conditions are likely to prevail mostly in the coastal areas as well as in Boudh, Koraput, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts," said IMD's Bhubaneswar regional centre Director, Manorama Mohanty.