Bhubaneswar: With mercury on the rise at several places in Odisha and as heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail over several districts of the State till May 4, at least 15 places witnessed maximum (day) temperatures at 44 Degrees Celsius or above, today.

Baripada town recorded the highest maximum temperature at 46.4 Degrees Celsius. It was followed by Balasore (46.0), Bhubaneswar (45.4), Angul (44.7), Dhenkanal, Jajpur, and Talcher each (44.5), Boudh (44.3), Cuttack, Jharsuguda, and Kendrapada each (44.2) and Bhadrak, Nayagarh, Nuapada, and Titilagarh each (44.0).

However, 17 other places that recorded day temperatures at 40 Degrees Celsius or above are Bolangir (43.7), Chandbali (43.6), Sambalpur (43.4), Bhawanipatna, Malkangiri, and Rourkela each (43.2), Sonepur (43.1), Keonjhar, and Khordha each (43.0), Hirakud, and Sundargarh each (42.9), Bargarh (42.2), Paralakhemundi (42.1), Jagatsinghpur (42.0), Phulbani (41.5), Rayagada (40.2) and Nabarangpur (42.9).

Temperature forecast: No large change was predicted in the maximum (day) temperature for the next four to five days at many places over the districts 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.