P0st News Network
Bhubaneswar: The mercury continued to soar in many parts of the state, with 12 places, including eight in western Orissa, recording temperatures of more than 40° Celsius.
Sundargarh recorded the highest temperature of 45° Celsius, followed by Talcher at (44.6°), Titilagarh (44°), Bhawanipatna and Jharsuguda (43.2°) and Angul (42.1°).
The other places recorded temperatures above 40° Celsius are Bolangir (41°), Hirakud (40.9°), Sonepur (40.8°), Sambalpur (40.7°), Chandbali (40.2°) and Balasore (40°), a Met report said.
The capital recorded a temperature of 39.4° Celsius against the 37° recorded Saturday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has, meanwhile, predicted that the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala this year is likely to be delayed and take place June 7, instead of its scheduled date of June 1.
As such, the monsoon is likely to reach the state in the second week of June as it takes about 10 days to reach Orissa coast, sources said.
“It is too early to predict the exact date of arrival of monsoon in Orissa. After it strikes Kerala coast we may say the date for the state. However, at present we are hopeful that Orissa would get monsoon rain by the second week of June,” said Mamta Yadav, director-in-charge of IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre.