Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to endure severe heatwave conditions on Friday, as the industrial town of Jharsuguda marked the highest temperature in the state for the second day in a row at 44.8 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
Eighteen locations, including Jharsuguda, reported maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or higher during the day, as noted in the evening bulletin from the IMD’s Bhubaneswar center.
Following Jharsuguda, Titlagarh recorded a temperature of 44 degrees Celsius. Western Odisha towns Sambalpur and Hirakud saw temperatures of 43.6 and 43.4 degrees Celsius, respectively, while Angul reached 43.1 degrees Celsius and Bolangir recorded 43 degrees Celsius.
Other areas such as Sundargarh, Talcher, Bhawanipatna, Subarnapur, Paralakhemundi, Nuapada, and Rourkela experienced day temperatures between 42 and 43 degrees Celsius.
The capital city Bhubaneswar logged a temperature of 39.4 degrees Celsius, while neighboring Cuttack recorded 38.4 degrees Celsius, according to the bulletin.
The IMD indicated that heatwave and hot weather conditions are expected to persist in the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati on Saturday.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds are anticipated in the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, and Rayagada on Saturday afternoon or evening.
In response to the ongoing heatwave, the Odisha government has announced the closure of all schools in the state starting Monday.
