Mercury touches 45 degree in Odisha

An intense heat-wave gripped Odisha today with the mercury touching 45 degree Celsius at Titlagarh and Sonepur followed by 44.4 degree C at Sambalpur and Hirakud.
Altogether 15 cities and towns recorded temperature 42 degree C or above, while at the seaside temple town of Puri where thousands of people congregated during the day for Lord Jagannath's bathing ritual it was recorded at 43.6 degree C.
Gopalpur recorded 43.2 degree, the highest in the sea side town.
At least 19 places recorded temperature above 40 degree Celsius as blistering heat continued to torment most parts of the state.
Bhubaneswar recorded 42.6 deg C and Cuttack 41.5 deg C with high humidity level of up to 84 per cent.

The weather office predicted prevalence of heat wave conditions in some places in the next 24 hours.
IMD, Bhubaneswar director, Sarat Sahu, however, said there was likelihood of rain and thundershower over one or two places in north and south Odisha and warned of the possibility of thunder squalls.