Heat wave condition persisted in western Odisha today while thundersquall brought some respite to coastal districts of the state.
Met office sources said Bolangir recorded the day's highest temperature of 44.6 degree C, up from 43.5 degree C yesterday, followed by Talcher at 43.8 degree C.
Bhawanipatna and Sundergarh, two other western Odisha towns sizzled at 43 degree C each, Jharsuguda at 42.5 degree C, Hirakud at 42.1 degree C, Sambalpur at 42.2 degree and Sonepur at 41.1 degree C.
The mercury dropped by more than five degrees C to 37 degree C in Bhubaneswar today but had to suffer high humidity level of 85 per cent. Neighbouring Cuttack city recorded 35.2 degree C, the sources said.
Daringbadi in Kandhamal district recorded highest 40 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours followed by 8 mm at Bolangir, they said.
A report from the Special Relief Commissioner's office said the sunstroke toll remained 18 and the number of alleged deaths due to heat related incidents at 181.
