Odisha continues to reel under Heat Wave

Bhubaneswar, May 24 (IANS): Odisha continued to reel under intense heat wave conditions as 19 towns recorded temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday, even as some places saw a brief spell of rain giving much needed respite to the people.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the heat wave will continue unabated till June 1 in the state.

Nine cities recorded temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, while the industrial town of Angul emerged as the hottest place with the maximum reaching a whopping 46.7 degrees.

Sambalpur recorded 46.6 degrees, followed by Titlagarh at 46.5 and Hirakud at 46.4.

The western Odisha districts like Bolangir, Bhabanipatna, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda all registered temperatures of above 45 degrees, said an IMD bulletin.

State capital Bhubaneswar also recorded 45 degrees.

IMD Bhubaneswar director Sarat Chandra Sahu said the heat wave will continue till the end of the month.

The sweltering conditions forced people to stay in their homes throughout the day while frequent power cuts added to their woes and made life miserable.

With the rise in temperature, people have been forced to consume more electricity that caused transformers to trip in many places.

However, there was no power cut across the state, claimed P.K. Pradhan, commercial director of Gridco, which distributes electricity in the state.