Intense heat wave grips Western Odisha, sunstroke toll 81

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 27:

In spite of a drastic fall in temperature in the coastal districts, the entire Western Odisha districts have still remained in the grip of intense heat wave condition.

An evening Met bulletin said temperature remained at 40 degree Celsius and above in 12 places today with Titlagarh emerging as the hottest place for the second consecutive day with 47 degrees, a fall of .6 degrees it had recorded yesterday.

Places where temperature went up to 40 and above are Angul (41.1), Jharsuguda (43), Sambalpur (44.6), Hirakud (43.5), Sundargarh (42), Talcher (42.8), Bhawanipatna (46), Bolangir (45), Phulbani (40.7), Malkangiri (42.6) and Sonepur (44.8).

The capital city also witnessed further fall in temperature at 38.9 degrees as against 39.8 degrees it had recorded yesterday.

Talking to the media, director, Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Dr Sarat Chandra Sahu said the intensity of heat wave condition would subside in the state as there are possibilities of rain and thundershowers at some places in the coastal, western and southern districts in the next five days up to June 1 due to the influence of a trough line stretching from north coastal Andhra Pradesh to Chhattisgarh through Odisha.

“As per the model indicators, there would be further fall in temperature after June 1”, he added.

Meanwhile, the unofficial sunstroke death toll in the state went up to 81 today of which the state government confirmed 11 deaths due to sunstroke.

“As per the reports of the district collectors, 11 deaths are due to sunstroke while investigation into the 70 deaths is underway”, said GVV Sharma, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), in a media briefing this evening.