The prevailing heat wave condition today further intensified across Odisha with the industrial town of Angul recording a maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius even as the Odisha government confirmed four deaths due to sunstroke.
With no indication of respite from the gruelling heat in next five days, at least six major towns registered temperatures above 46 degrees and in 18 towns mercury crossed the 40 degree mark.
The state capital of Bhubaneswar recorded a high of 45.4 degrees today against yesterday's 45 degrees. The heat here was uncomfortable as the relative humidity remained at 91 per cent. "High temperature along with high humidity level caused a painful hot summer in the state capital," said S C Sahu, the director of IMD, Bhubaneswar.
Sahu said there is no indication of reduction in the day temperature across the state in next five days. "The heat wave like condition will continue at least till May 31," Sahu said.
Meanwhile, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has received reports of 43 deaths allegedly due to sun stroke. "Of the 43 alleged cases of sun stroke, four have been confirmed by the district collectors. So far the district collectors have enquired into 11 cases of which 7 deaths are due to some other reasons while four cases were confirmed as the sunstoke deaths," said deputy SRC Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra.
Mohapatra said the district collectors were probing 32 other cases. Of the four confirmed cases of sunstoke, two came from Rayagada district while one each occured in Balasore and Baragarh, he said.
The towns which recorded temperature above 46 degrees were: Hirakud (46.6), Titlagarh (46.5), Jharsuguda (46.4), Balangir (46.2). Angul's maximum at 47 degrees is the highest temperature of the season, IMD sources said.
The places which recorded temperature above 40 degree C are: Chandbali (41.9), Cuttack (41.6), Baripada (40), Keonjhargarh (42.3), Sundergarh (45), Talcher (45.1), Bhawanipatna (45.2), Phulbani (42.2), Malkangiri (43.4), Sonepur (43.9) and Dhenkanal (43.9).
The soaring temperatures have been accompanied by frequent power cuts in different parts of the state, including Bhubaneswar, which have made life difficult for the people.
The state government decided to go for one-hour power cuts in two phases in the state capital due to damage to two high tension towers near Nachuni in Khurda district.
