Odisha continued to reel under severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures hitting a scorching 46 degrees Celsius in the industrial hub of Jharsuguda on Wednesday, according to weather officials.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert across several districts for the upcoming four days.
A total of 21 locations, including Jharsuguda, crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark during the day, with seven of those areas recording temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius, the IMD’s Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said in its evening briefing.
At 45.3 degrees Celsius, the western Odisha town of Sambalpur stood as the state’s second hottest location, while nearby Hirakud sweltered closely behind at 45 degrees Celsius.
Sonepur clocked in at 43.9 degrees Celsius, while Bargarh and the coal mining town of Talcher both touched 43.8 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Bolangir logged a high of 43.3 degrees Celsius, the report noted.
The maximum daytime temperature hit 42.8 degrees Celsius in both Sundargarh and Bhawanipatna, followed by Angul at 42.1 degrees Celsius and Nayagarh at 42 degrees Celsius.
The other places that registered a day temperature of 40 degrees Celsius are-Baripada, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Nayagarh, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Nuapada, Khurda, Kendrapara and Rourkela.
The weather office issued a heatwave warning for several districts till May 24.
For Thursday, IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ (be prepared to take action) for Sambalpur and Balangir districts. Meanwhile, a ‘yellow alert’ (be aware) has been issued for Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nayagarh, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, and Khurda.
Similar hot weather conditions would prevail in the state for another three days until May 24.
Heat poses a health concern for vulnerable people like infants, the elderly, pregnant women and the sick, the IMD said in an advisory.
Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and gusty surface wind would occur in several districts across Odisha during the afternoon or evening hours of Thursday, it said.
