Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to reel under severe heatwave conditions Friday, with industrial town Jharsuguda recording the highest temperature in the state for the second consecutive day at 44.8 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
As many as 18 places, including Jharsuguda, recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above during the day, according to the evening bulletin of the IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre.
Jharsuguda was followed by Titlagarh, where the temperature was 44 degrees Celsius during the day.
Western Odisha towns Sambalpur and Hirakud recorded 43.6 and 43.4 degrees Celsius, respectively, while Angul sizzled at 43.1 degrees Celsius and Bolangir at 43 degrees Celsius.
Places including Sundargarh, Talcher, Bhawanipatna, Subarnapur, Paralakhemundi, Nuapada and Rourkela recorded day temperatures between 42 and 43 degrees Celsius.
Capital city Bhubaneswar logged 39.4 degrees Celsius while neighbouring Cuttack recorded 38.4 degrees Celsius, the bulletin said.
The IMD centre said heatwave and hot weather conditions are expected to prevail in the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati Saturday.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds are likely to occur in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, and Rayagada districts Saturday afternoon or evening.
In view of the heatwave situation, the Odisha government has announced the closure of all schools in the state from Monday.
PTI