Jharsuguda town in Odisha recorded a scorching 44.8 degrees Celsius on Friday, making it the hottest location in the state, according to an official report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The industrial town, which had earlier registered 44.6°C on Wednesday—the highest in the country—saw no respite from the intense heat.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
Friday's temperature in Jharsuguda was 3.6 degrees Celsius above normal. The IMD report noted that mercury levels hovered between 40°C and over 43°C at 17 other locations across the state. Titlagarh town recorded the second highest temperature in Odisha at 44°C.
Coastal Areas See Slight Relief
Coastal pockets experienced a slight reduction in heat compared to the previous two days, though conditions remained hot and humid. The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack sizzled at 39.4°C and 38.4°C respectively, after a sharp rise in temperatures over the preceding days.
IMD Forecast: No Major Change Initially
The IMD has forecast that similar mercury levels with no large change will continue for one or two more days. Thereafter, day temperatures are expected to drop by 2°C to 4°C. This relief will come amid warnings of thunderstorm activities continuing in several districts until the end of the month.
Heatwave and Thunderstorm Warnings
On Saturday, hot and humid conditions are likely to persist in 13 coastal districts: Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, and Gajapati. Sanjeev Dwivedi, a scientist at the IMD centre in Bhubaneswar, said the prevailing wind pattern continues to support rising mercury levels across the state.
Government Response
With heatwave conditions showing no relief in several places, affecting daily life, the state government has stepped up its preparations to tackle the situation. The office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has issued necessary directions to collectors of all districts to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat.
