Bhubaneswar: With severe heatwave conditions gripping Odisha, maximum temperature shot up to 43 degree Celsius in at least 12 places in the state on Sunday.
According to evening bulletin of regional centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar, Angul was the hottest place in the state recording maximum (day) temperature of 44.3 degree Celsius.
At least 27 places in the state witnessed the temperature shooting up to 40 degree Celsius or more during the day.
Angul was closely followed by Boudh with 44.1 degree Celsius, while Baripada recorded 44 degree Celsius and Nayagarh as well as Cuttack 43.7 degree Celsius. The mercury touched 43.6 degree Celsius at Dhenkanal and 43.5 degree at Talcher, Titilagarh and Malkangiri.
Capital city Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 43.2 degree Celsius, down from 44.6 degree recorded on Saturday.
Severe heatwave prevailed in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, and Dhenkanal during the day. Similarly, heatwave prevailed in Khurda, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Malkangiri, and Boudh districts on Sunday.
According to the MeT agency, the day temperature may further rise slightly by 2°C at many places during the next 24 hours due to prevailing northwesterly/westerly dry air and high solar insolation.
“Consequently, the maximum temperature may remain 4 to 6°C above normal in some districts during the next 4 to 5 days. People are advised to take precautionary measure while going outside during peak hours of the day time between 11 am and 3 pm.”
Odisha has already experienced 15 heatwave days in two spells this month. With hot weather condition dangerously tightening its grip over the state and weather agency predicting continuation of the same till May 9, this season could turn out to be the worst since 1998 when the state had seen 27 heatwave days between mid-April and May.
