Bhubaneswar: Most parts of Odisha reeled under intense heatwave on Friday with the day temperature touching 42 degree Celsius or above in at least 16 places of the state. The mercury soared past 40 degree Celsius in at least 22 places.
Jharsuguda turned out to be the hottest place in the state recording maximum temperature of 45.6 degree Celsius at blistering heatwave conditions prevailed almost everywhere.
At least 11 places, mostly belonging to western Odisha, recorded day temperature of 43 degree Celsius or above, according to the Meteorological Centre at Bhubaneswar.
Jharsuguda was followed closely by Sambalpur which recorded 45.2 degree Celsius, while the temperature was 44.8 degree Celsius at Sonepur, 44.7 degree in Hirakud, 44.6 at Boudh, 44 degree in Balangir, 43.8 degree in Sundargarh, 43.6 degree in rourkela as well as Bhawanipatna, 43.5 at titlagarh and 43.2 degree at Talcher.
The MeT office issued heatwave warning for one or two places in Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj till Saturday morning.
Thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface windspeed reaching 40-50kmph was also forecast at one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal and thunderstorm with lightning in Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Koraput during this period with light to moderate rainat one or two places in coastal Odisha, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Angul, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri.
The heatwave is likely to prevail for another 3 days. “Maximum temperature is very likely to remain 3-5 degrees above normal at a few places in Odisha during next 4 days. People are advised to take precautionary measures while going outside between 11 am and 3 pm,” the MeT office added.
