Bhubaneswar: The heat wave continued to grip Odisha Wednesday as 13 towns recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius and above.
Boudh was the hottest at 41.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Sambalpur at 41.2 degrees. Bhubaneswar, Angul, Jharsuguda, Talcher, Bolangir and Nayagarh each recorded 41.1 degrees and 41.0 degrees respectively. Other towns that crossed the 40-degree mark were Hirakud at 40.5 degrees, Paralakhemundi at 40.6 degrees, Dhenkanal at 40.4 degrees, and Titlagarh and Khordha both at 40.0 degrees.
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Saturday, asking people to be prepared to take action.
Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and gusty surface wind reaching 50 to 60 kmph is very likely to occur in the afternoon or evening hours at one or two places over Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Gajapati districts.
A yellow warning has also been issued for Saturday. Thunderstorm with lightning and gusty wind of 40 to 50 kmph is likely at isolated places in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts during afternoon or evening hours.
Warm night conditions are very likely at isolated places over Sundargarh, Sambalpur and Bolangir districts.
Hot and humid conditions are expected at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sonepur, Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts, the IMD said.
