Bhubaneswar: With the heat wave intensifying in most parts of Odisha today with Titlagarh breaking the 17-year record in April at 48.5 degree Celsius, the Met department has predicted that there will be no change in the heat wave condition till May 3.
Reports said the normal life was disrupted in Titlagarh as mercury went up to a record 48.5 degrees breaking the previous record of 48.1 degrees on April 30, 1999. Known as the hottest place in the state, the all time temperature record of Titlagarh stands at 50.1 degrees which was recorded on June 5, 2003.
The town had witnessed a steady rise in temperature with 46.3 degrees on April 19, 47 degrees on April 21 and 48 degrees on April 23.
As per a Met release here this evening, apart from Titlagarh, mercury shot up to 40 degree Celsius above in 16 places in the state.
Other places which recorded 40 degrees and above are Balasore (41.2), Chandbali (41.7), Cuttack (40.8), Bhubaneswar (41.8), Angul (44.1), Baripada (42.4), Jharsuguda (42.9), Keonjhar (41.5), Sambalpur (44), Sundergarh (44) Hirakud (43.9), Talcher (44.8), Bhawanipatna (45), Balangir (44.5), Sonepur (46.1) and Dhenkanal (43.6)
Talking to OTV, Director, Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Dr Sarat Chandra Sahu said though there is a possibility of kalabaisakhi (Norwester) in some parts of the coastal belts on April 26 and 27, there will be no significant change in the weather condition till May 3.
Meanwhile, reports on death of 88 persons due sun-stroke have been received from different sources in the state of which death in four cases has been confirmed to be due to sunstroke and in 28 cases, the death has occurred due to other reasons while the remaining 56 cases are under enquiry, a release by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said.