Odisha sizzles in the summer heat

Blistering heat persisted across Odisha today with the mercury breaching the 40 degree celsius mark in at least 11 places in the state, where sunstroke has claimed ten lives this summer.
Balangir became the hottest place in the state recording 44.7 degree celsius, while maximum temperature at Titlagarh, also in western Odisha, was 44.2 degree celsius, the met office said.
The maximum temperature at Bhawanipatna was 43.5 degree celsius, while the mercury stood at 43.4 degrees at Sonepur, 43.1 degrees at Angul, 42.1 degrees at Sambalpur, 41.4 degrees at both Jharsuguda and Malkangiri, 41.1 degrees at Hirakud, 41 degrees at Sundargarh and 40 degree celsius at Talcher, it said.

In the capital city of Bhubaneswar, the maximum temperature stood at 38.4 degree celsius, while Cuttack city recorded a maximum temperature of 36.5 degrees, it added.
As many as ten heat-related deaths have been reported in the state so far this summer - three each from Angul and Sambalpur, two in Bargarh district and one each in Balangir and Bhadrak, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner said.