Bhubaneswar: With the mercury plummeting at several places in Odisha and rainfall activities being witnessed in several districts of the State, at least 25 places witnessed maximum (day) temperatures at 40 Degrees Celsius or above, today.

Boudh and Nuapada towns recorded the highest maximum temperature at 44.0 Degrees Celsius. It was followed by Titilagarh (43.8), Bolangir (43.7), Bhawanipatna, and Nayagarh each (43.0), Jharsuguda (42.7), Malkangiri (42.6), Sambalpur, and Talcher each (42.5), Keonjhar (42.4), Hirakud (42.3), Baripada (42.2), Angul (42.1), Sundargarh (42.0), Dhenkanal, and Phulbani each (41.6), Sonepur (41.3), Rourkela (41.0), Jajpur, and Paralakhemundi each (40.8), Rayagada (40.4), Chandbali (40.2) and Khordha, and Nabarangpur each (40.0).

Temperature forecast: No large change in the maximum (day) temperature during the next two days and a fall by 3°C to 5°C thereafter at many places over the district of Odisha.

People are to take precautionary measures while going outside during the day hours between 1100 Hrs IST and 1500 Hrs IST, a special bulletin of the IMD regional centre in Bhubaneswar advised.