Bhubaneswar: Heat wave intensified in most parts of Odisha on Friday with the mercury soaring to 43.8 degrees Celsius at Balangir, making it the hottest place in the state.
The mercury hovered above 40 degrees Celsius in at least 11 places, mostly in western Odisha, while cloudy conditions in some coastal areas acted as a coolant.
After Balangir, Jharsuguda recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius, followed by 43 degrees Celsius in both Titlagarh and Bhawanipatna and 42.8 degrees Celsius at Sonepur, the Meteorological centre here said.
Sambalpur recorded a maximum temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius, while it was 42 degrees Celsius in Hirakud and Sundargarh, 41.7 degrees Celsius at Angul, 41.6 degrees Celsius in Malkangiri and 41 degrees Celsius at Phulbani, it said.
The state capital, Bhubaneswar, recorded 37.3 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature in neighbouring Cuttack city stood at 36.6 degrees Celsius, it said.