Intense heat persists in Odisha

Intense heat persisted in most parts of Odisha today with the mercury hovering above 40 degrees Celsius in at least 11 places in the state. One person has died.
Malkangiri in southern Odisha was the hottest place in the state at 42 degrees Celsius.
Western Odisha experienced blistering heat with Titlagarh recording 41.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Balangir at 41.7 degrees Celsius, Jharsuguda and Hirakud at 41.6 degrees Celsius and Angul at 41.5 degrees Celsius, the MeT office said.
While Sambalpur town registered a maximum temperature at 41.1 degrees Celsius, the maximum temperature was 40.5 degrees Celsius in Bhawanipatna, 40.1 degrees Celsius at Talcher and 40 degrees Celsius at Dhenkanal, it said.

The heat increased in the coastal area too and the maximum temperature in state capital Bhubaneswar stood at 40.4 degrees Celsius while the mercury rose to 39.2 degrees Celsius in neighbouring Cuttack city, it said.
According to Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Prabhat Mohapatra, a man died due to sunstroke in Bargarh district of western Odisha. He said there have been reports of 14 suspected sunstroke deaths so far and detailed reports on them were awaited.