Amid heatwave, mercury crosses 40°C in Balangir

Bhubaneswar: Temperature continued to rise for the second day in the state on Thursday. Balangir recorded 40.6°C, the highest in the state followed by Boudh, where the mercury stood at 40°C, IMD sources said. In eight more towns, the day temperature was also hovering over 39°C. The city recorded 36.2°C.
IMD sources said the heatwave will continue at isolated places in five districts for one more day, on Friday.Those districts are Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh, Angul and Balangir. After that, mercury will drop by 2°C to 3° over the state, the forecast said.
On possible impact of low pressure area likely to intensify into cyclonic storm, the IMD on Thursday reiterated that the system would spare Odisha. Umashankar Das, scientist of IMD, regional centre, asserted that state will see no influence of possible cyclone. Besides, he said westerly and north-westerly hot and dry wind causing rise in mercury level in the state would continue in some pockets. Thereafter there would be chances of drop in mercury level in the state due to sea breeze.
The state government has kept the district collectors on alert. The office of Special Relief Commisioner (SRC) in its advisory issued to collectors suggested to take needful steps and aware public mostly senior citizens, infants and sick people to avoid exposure to heat during peak hours.
The IMD bulletin said Tuesday’s low pressure area formed over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved east-northeastwards and continue to brew over the region.