Bhubaneswar: Odisha will continue to reel under heatwave conditions and the mercury is likely to hover around 42 degree Celsius or more in interior parts of the state during the next 5 days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Sunday.
Thunderstorm activity may also prevail in several southern and coastal districts during this period. There is a forecast for thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal till Monday morning with thunderstorm with lightning at Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Keonjhar and Angul. A few places in south coastal Odisha, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and one or two places in rest districts may also experience light to moderate rain.
The IMD has issued a similar warning for the subsequent 24 hours.
Notably, the highest maximum temperature of 43.3 degree Celsius was recorded at Balangir followed by Nuapada (43) and Jharsuguda (42.5) on Saturday. Mercury dipped 36.8 degree Celsius in Bhubaneswar, which saw high humidity during the day.
According to an IMD forecast, the mercury may soar to 43 degree Celsius at seven places in the state – Boudh, Titlagarh, Sonepur, Nuapada, Balangir, Jharsuguda and Sambalpur – on May 30. The following day, Balangir is likely yo to record the day’s highest at 44 degree Celsius. The twin cities may record 38-39 degree Celsius in the next 5 days.