Odisha receives pre-monsoon rain, suntroke toll 44

Odisha was lashed by pre-monsoon rains across the state after a long spell of gruelling summer even as the death toll due to sunstroke reached to 44 today.
"We are hopeful that the monsoon will reach Odisha on June 14. The condition for the onset of monsoon is favourable. Almost all parts of Odisha have received pre-monsoon rainfall," said Sarat Chandra Sahu, the director of IMD, Bhubaneswar.
Monsoon clouds have started floating in the sky which is an indication of its arrival in two days, he said adding IMD has predicted heavy rainfall at one or two places over interior Odisha.

The IMD had also forecast that light to moderate rain is likely in coastal districts in the next 24 hours.
The highest rainfall of 49.1 mm during the day was recorded at Titlagarh, one of the hottest places in the western part of the state.
The rains caused the mercury level to fall below 40 degree Celsius in all places of Odisha.

Bhubaneswar, which experienced a sizzling 44 degree celsius on Wednesday and 38.7 degrees celsius yesterday, today recorded only 30.2 degree celsius. Its relative humidity jumped to 95 per cent from 85 per cent yesterday, he said.
A report from the Special Relief Commissioner's office said the toll due to sunstroke increased to 44 from 42 yesterday. One person each died at Deogarh and Bhadrak districts since Thursday.

Eight people have died due to sunstroke in Ganjam district, six in Kendrapara district, five each in Balangir and Bargarh, three each in Dhenkanal and Jajpur and two each in Puri, Rayagada and Cuttack. This apart, one sunstroke death each took place in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Deogarh, Khurda, Nuapada and Sonepur districts, the SRC office sources said.