Heat wave continues to roast Western Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Major parts of Odisha, mostly the Western Odisha, continued to boil under severe heat wave conditions with maximum day temperature hovering above 40 degree Celsius in as many as 10 places today.

Out of ten, eight places are in Western Odisha. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest place in the state recording temperature of 42.6 degree Celsius.

The coal town of Talcher recorded 40.5 degree Celsius, followed by Angul (42.1), Sambalpur (42), Hirakud (41.6), Sundergarh (40), Balangir (40) and Titlagarh (40).

The scorching heat has affected the normal life badly forcing people to stay indoors. Markets and roads across the Western Odisha wore a deserted look.

People in the coastal areas of the state, however, got some respite as the maximum day temperature witnessed a fall today.

The state capital recorded 35.6 degree Celsius and Cuttack of 36 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, the met department warned that thunderstorms with gusty wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places in 18 districts.

The districts are Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Boudh, Dhenkanal and Khurda.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the southwest monsoon, which has advanced into the Andamans, is expected to hit the Kerala coast on June 6.

The Bhubaneswar Centre of IMD predicted that the monsoon will reach the Odisha coast within eight or ten days after it touch Kerala.