Sunstroke claims 3 lives in Odisha; Belangir sizzles at 44.3 C

Scorching heat wave persisted across Odisha today with Balangir being the hottest region in the state at 44.3 degrees Celsius, even as at least eight places breached the 43 degree mark.
"Sunstroke has claimed at least three lives in the state so far in the summer with casualties reported from Bargarh, Angul and Balangir districts," the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said.
The state virtually remained a boiling pot as the mercury breached the 43 degree mark at eight towns and the 40 degree mark in at least 14 places.
The MeT office has forecast intensified heat wave.

Closely following Balangir town, Titlagarh recorded a maximum temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 43.7 degrees at Bhawanipatna, 43.4 degrees at both Sambalpur and Malkangiri, 43.2 degrees at Keonjhargarh and Sonepur, 43 degrees at Sundargarh, 42.8 degrees at Jharsuguda and 42.7 degrees at both Angul and Hirakud, the MeT office said.
Talcher recorded 41.6 degrees Celsius, while the mercury stood at 41.4 degrees at Phulbani town and 40 degrees Celsius at Baripada, it said.
The maximum temperature in state capital Bhubaneswar stood at 37.8 degrees Celsius, while the mercury touched 37.5 degrees in Cuttack city, the MeT added.