The Odisha capital today recorded a temperature of 44.1 degree Celsius, the highest temperature since 2010 even as heat wave conditions prevailed in some parts of the state with the mercury crossing the 42 degree C mark in more than half a dozen towns.
Bhubaneswar was followed by coal town of Talcher where mercury level touched 43.6 degree Celsius and the industrial town of Jharsuguda 43.1 degree Celsius.
The towns and cities which recorded temperature above 42 degree C were: Angul and Hirakud (42.7 each), Titlagarh (42.5), Chandbali (42.3), Baripada and Sambalpur (42.2), Sundargarh and Malkangiri (42).
Stating that temperature in Odisha has gone up by 4 to 5 degree Celsius this time, IMD director S C Sahu said the heat wave condition was likely to continue for at least two more days.
The mercury level in Bhubaneswar today reached at 44.1 degree Celsius, the highest temperature in the city since 2010.
Though the state capital yesterday recorded 42.2 degree C, the mercury level started increasing from this morning and reached 44.1 degrees C by 1.30 PM, Met officials said.
Life became miserable as the humidity level also went up to 84 per cent in the state capital pushing the citizens indoors till evening. The state capital had recorded the highest temperature at 43.6 degrees on April 9, 2010, they said.
"The amount of rainfall and the soil condition determine the rise and fall in temperature of a place. If the soil is covered with grass, evaporation occurs as the heat takes away the moisture from the grassy soil. As a result, the atmosphere becomes cool. But as there is no substantial rainfall in Odisha since October last year, the soil has become dry," Sahu said.
Meanwhile, a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department said that the heat wave condition prevailed over some parts of Coastal Odisha.
It said rainfall occurred at one or two places over North Odisha and weather had been dry over the rest of Odisha. The maximum temperatures were appreciably above normal over North Interior Odisha and above normal in the rest of Odisha.
