Bhubaneswar: There will be no respite from the heat wave prevailing in Odisha for another four days, the regional office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast.
At least four places in western Odisha recorded temperatures at or above 44°C with Sambalpur being the hottest place in the state during the day at 44.3°C.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack sweltered as the mercury hit 38.6°C and 38°C respectively with the humidity level nearing 90 per cent. Although the state capital and some parts of the coastal belt experienced relief due to a spell of thunder shower on Tuesday evening, the heat wave is likely to continue.
The IMD forecast that there will be no major change in day temperatures at many places in the state in the next four days. “It is likely to be 42°C or more at a few places in interior Odisha including Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Kalahandi”.
The weather office also issued a yellow warning and said thunderstorm with lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 km per hour is very likely to occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Cuttack and Khurda districts till 8.30 am on Wednesday. The IMD also forecast thunderstorms with lightning at one or two places in Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Dhenkanal districts.
Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner asked the authorities of nine western Odisha districts – Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Kalahandi, to take measures to mitigate the heat wave situation.
