Bhubaneswar: Balangir was the hottest place in Odisha in the last 24 hours, recording 38.3 degrees Celsius. The mercury crossed 38 degrees Celsius in at least four places in the state and in 24 places, it crossed 35 degrees Celsius, according to the regional meteorological centre here.
Balangir was followed by Jharsuguda (38.2), Angul (38.1) and Titlagarh (38).
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 36.6 and 36 degrees Celsius respectively.
Other places that recorded temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius were Sundergarh (36), Baripada (37.4), Balasore (37), Hirakud (37.3), Sambalpur (37.5), Kirei (36.5), Talcher (37), Mahisapat (37), Ranital (36), Bhadrak (36.6), Chandbali (36), Sonepur (37.3), Boudh (37.5), Phulbani (36.1), Nayagarh (37.5), Bhawanipatna (36.5), Rayagada (35.5) and Malkangiri (36.5).
Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Angul, Nayagarh and Khurda have been put on alert over a possible heatwave sweeping Odisha for two days from March 16.
The temperature in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack may touch 39 and 38 degrees Celsius respectively during the period.
“Dry and hot winds blowing from the west and north-west directions are likely to push up the day temperatures by 3-4 degrees Celsius in some interior pockets of the state,” Umashankar Das, a scientist at the regional IMD centre here, said.
Amid the rise in day temperatures, the state government has restricted the movement of public transport between 11 am and 3 pm to check heatwave-related incidents during peak summer.
