West Odisha reels under heat wave, sunstroke toll touches 21

Western parts of Odisha today continued to sizzle under intense heat wave conditions with Titlagarh recording 45 degree Celsius and one more succumbing to sunstroke in Kendrapara district taking the state-wide toll to 21 this summer.
While Titlagarh was the hottest place in the state, other western Odisha towns like Sambalpur recorded 44.9 degree C followed by Hirakud (44.2), Jharsuguda (43.7), Balangir (43.5), Talcher and Sonepur (43).
At least 13 districts of Odisha's 30 districts recorded temperature above 40 degree celsius, met office sources said, adding Bhubaneswar experienced 41.4 degree C against yesterday's 44.2 degree C.
The met office, however, predicted that the temperature will start falling from May 25 and some parts of the coastal region could experience rain in the next 24 hours.

Sun-stroke has so far claimed four lives in Mayurbhanj district this summer followed by three each in Balangir and Kendrapara district, two each in Cuttack, Jajpur and Keonjhar. One death was reported from Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal and Khurda districts each, sources said.
The met office predicted that severe heat wave conditions will prevail in some parts of interior Odisha for the next 24 hours.