Bhubaneswar: Heatwave, hot and humid and warm night conditions may persist in Odisha till May 29, the India Meteorological Department informed on Monday.
The weather agency has issued a red warning for heatwave and warm night conditions at isolated places in the district of Sambalpur and Balangir from May 25-27. Boudh is also likely to reel under searing heatwave during this period. An orange alert of heatwave has been sounded for isolated places in Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Kalahandi, and Nuapada, and a yellow warning for Kandhamal and Bargarh.
On May 28, heatwave may continue to prevail with an orange warning issued for Sambalpur, Boudh and Balangir districts and a yellow warning for Sonepur, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Bargarh.
Yellow warning continues for Sambalpur, Boudh, Balangir, Sonepur and Jharsuguda during the subsequent 24 hours.
Hot and humid conditions may also prevail at isolated places in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur till May 29.
The blistering conditions are being attributed to a combination of persistent dry and hot north-westerly winds and no active weather system.
The Met office further stated that Odisha can expect some relief from the blistering heat and sultry weather conditions after 4 days when the mercury is expected to fall by 2-3 degree Celsius.
At 11.30 am on Monday, Sambalpur was the hottest place in the state at 41.4°C, followed by Hirakud at 402°C, Jharsuguda at 40°C, Rourkela at 37°C and Bhubaneswar at 36.2°C. This comes a day after mercury soared to 45°C and above at six places – Titlagarh (45.8°C), Boudh (45.6), Bhawanipatna (45.4°C), Sambalpur (45.3°C), Sonepur (45.2°C) and Balangir ( 45°C).
Notably, the Odisha Works Department has directed that labourers should not be engaged in outdoor work during peak daytime hours between 11 am and 3 pm in view of the prevailing heatwave conditions. While 18 heat-related deaths have been reported so far. Three of these have been confirmed to have been caused by sunstroke.