Bhubaneswar: The mercury soared to 40 degree Celsius and above at 18 places in Odisha on Monday with Sonepur being the hottest at 43.3 degree Celsius.
Nine places recorded maximum temperature above 42 degree Celsius.
Balangir saw daytime temperature of 42.8 degree Celsius followed by Hirakud and Jharsuguda at 42.6 degree Celsius, Baripada (42.4), Talcher and Sambalpur at 42.2 degree Celsius, Sundargarh and Bargarh at 42 degree Celsius, Titlagarh and Angul at 41.7 degree Celsius, Boudh (41.5) and Dhenkanal (40.3). Kendrapada, Nuapada, Jajpur, Nayagarh and Balasore recorded 40 degree Celsius each.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 38.6 degree Celsius and 39 degree Celsius respectively.
According to the regional centre of India Meteorological Department in Bhubaneswar, the heatwave conditions will persist for another 24 hours with the maximum temperature remaining above normal by 3 to 4 degrees at places. Thereafter, the state will witness a dip in the mercury level by 3-4 degrees.
The IMD has forecast onset of monsoon in the state by June15-16. “Conditions would continue to become favourable for further advance of monsoon into some more parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bay of Bengal, some parts of Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, entire Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and some more parts of Bihar during subsequent two days,” it added.
Rainfall activity is likely to increase over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with thunderstorm/ lightning/ gusty winds from June 15 to 17, it added.
