Odisha towns sizzle at 44.8 degrees

It's turning out to be a sizzling summer in Odisha with the the mercury touching 44.8 degrees Celsius in the towns of Sambalpur and Balangir, an official said Thursday. And the heat wave conditions will last for at least the next two days.

Sambalpur and Balangir in western Odisha touched the high of 44.8 degrees Celsius Wednesday, the hottest in the state, an official of the Meteorological Centre Bhubaneswar told IANS.

"Some places may witness uncomfortable sultry day conditions during the next two days," he said.

While the maximum temperature in the coastal belt was below 40 degrees Celsius, several other towns in western parts of the state witnessed temperatures between 40 and 44 degrees Celsius, he said.