Mercury touches 44 degrees Celsius in Odisha

Unrelenting heat continued to grip many parts of Odisha with Sonepur town Friday recording a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius, the day's and this summer's highest in the state, an official said.

Roads were deserted in the afternoon as people preferred to stay indoors in the district headquarters town of Sonepur, about 280 km from here.

High temperatures between 40 and 44 degrees Celsius were also recorded in over a dozen towns, an official of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre told IANS.

"Angul town recorded 43.7 degrees Celsius, Titilagarh 43 degrees and Talcher 43.6 degrees Celsius", he said.

The maximum temperature in state capital Bhubaneswar was 40.2 degree Celsius, the official said, and added that the scorching weather would continue for the next two days.