Bhubaneswar: Amid the prevailing heat wave conditions across Odisha, a lowpressure area has formed over the central parts of the south Bay of Bengal under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

The lowpressure area is likely to move northwestwards till April 8 and then move slightly towards west-central Bay of Bengal during the next 48 hours, senior IMD scientist Uma Shankar Dash said.

The IMD, in its midday bulletin, said despite the formation of lowpressure area over the Bay of Bengal, dry weather prevailed in the districts of Odisha.

“The maximum temperature rose by about 2-4 degrees Celsius at one or two places over the districts of North Odisha and no large change elsewhere over the districts,” it said.

Stating that the maximum temperatures were above normal by about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius at a few places over the districts of coastal Odisha, the IMD said the highest maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius was recorded at Boudh and the lowest minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius was recorded at Phulbani in the plains of Odisha on Sunday.