Temperature goes up in coastal Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After a week-long respite from heat wave conditions, mercury shot up again in the coastal Odisha while most parts of western region of the state continued to record temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius.

The local Met office here said the humid conditions would prevail in most parts of the state till next week as the moisture level in the atmosphere remains high.

It also said that as per the latest Doppler weather radar and satellite imagery, thundersquall accompanied with hail and gusty surface wind speed reaching 60 kmph is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Keonjhar, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak in the next 24 hours.

As per a Met release this evening, Balangir was the hottest place in the state today with 43.5 degrees while temperature remained at 40 degree Celsius and above in 9 places: Angul (40.1), Bhubaneswar (41.2), Jharsuguda (40.8), Sambalpur (41.8), Sundergarh (40.5), Hirakud (41.1), Bhawanipatna (43.2), Talcher (40.1), Balangir (41.5), Titlagarh (43), Malkangiri (41.6) and Sonepur (42).

The state capital which recorded a maximum temperature of 39.8 degrees Celsius yesterday, sizzled at 41.2 degrees Celsius today with relative humidity reaching 75 per cent.

Meanwhile, reports have been received from different sources on the death of 179 persons due to sun-stroke in the state of which death in 17 cases has been confirmed to be due to sunstroke. In 93 cases, the death has occurred due to other reasons. The remaining 86 cases are under inquiry, a release by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said.