Mercury crosses 43 degrees in Odisha, likely to reach 45 degrees 

Baripada in Mayurbhanj district became the hottest city of the current season on Tuesday recording a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius. 

With no respite in sight for at least five days ending April 21, entire Odisha has been reeling under scorching heat over the past couple of days. On Tuesday, Baripada recorded 43.6 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest city of the current season. 

This apart, as many as 18 places across Odisha recorded 41 degrees Celsius or more. The cities that followed Baripada were Nuapada & Paralakhemundi (42.4 degrees Celsius each), Talcher & Boudh (42 degrees Celsius each), Bhubaneswar & Malkangiri (41.9 degrees Celsius each), Nayagarh & Angul (41.7 degrees Celsius each), Chandbali 41.6 degrees Celsius, Khordha, Titlagarh & Jagatsinghpur (41.5 degrees Celsius each), Jharsuguda (41.4 degrees Celsius), Balasore (41.1 degrees Celsius),  Kendrapara, Dhenkanal & Bhadrak (41 degrees Celsius) and Bolangir & Bhadrak (40.8 degrees Celsius each). 

The IMD predicted the heat wave may further intensify with mercury reaching 45 degrees Celsius in some areas between April 18 and 20.