Bhubaneswar: Odisha continues to reel under a heat spell Wednesday with mercury level breaching 40 degree Celsius in at least 15 places while Jharsuguda become the hottest place in the state at 42.9 degree C, the met office said.
The weather office also forecast the heat wave is likely to continue over the next five days.
“Maximum temperature is very likely to be 40 degree C or more at a few places in the districts of interior Odisha during next 5 days,” the IMD said in its evening bulletin.
Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, HR Biswas said the hot weather is likely to persist at a few places over the districts of Coastal Odisha during the next 2 days and over interior Odisha during next 5 days. People are advised to take precautionary measures while going outside, Biswas said.
On Wednesday, at least seven places recorded temperature at or above 42 degree C while 8 other places reported day temperature att or above 40 degree C.
Jharsuguda (42.9) was followed by Sambalpur (42.6), Boudh (42.4), Talcher (42,2), Angul (42.1), Sundergarh and Bolangir (42).
Other places which reported temperature above 40 degree C were: Hirakud (41.9), bargarh (41), Sonepur and Rourkela (40.8), Baripada 940.6), Titlagarh (40.5), Nayagarh (40.2) and Malkangiri (40). While Bhubaneswar recorded 38.6 degree C, it was 39 degree C in Cuttack, the met office said.
Though a large part of Odisha is reeling under the heat spell, the IMD on Wednesday predicted thunderstorm activities in several districts in the next 24 hours. A yellow warning (be updated) for thunderstorm and lightning has been issued for six districts in the next 24 hours.
The alert has been issued for the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj and Balasore.
PTI