Severe Heatwave Blazes Odisha, Bhubaneswar Boils at 45.4 degC

Bhubaneswar: Severe heatwave conditions sizzled Odisha on Tuesday with the mercury rising to 45.4 degrees Celsius in the capital Bhubaneswar, officials said.

Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district was the hottest place in the state, recording a temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius, which was an all-time high for it as well, they said.

Balasore recorded 46 degrees Celsius. Bhubaneswar's 45.4 degrees C was its second-highest April temperature on record. The city had recorded 45.8 degrees C on April 11, 2016, they added.

The maximum temperature in Angul was 44.7 degrees C, followed by Talcher, Dhenkanal and Jajpur at 44.5 degrees C. Boudh was at 44.3 degrees C, while Jharsuguda, Cuttack and Kendrapara were at 44.2 degrees C.

The weather office issued a red alert for Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack and Boudh districts for May 1.

Amid the heat, campaigning is in full swing for the elections in the state.

Odisha will vote in the Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls simultaneously in four phases, starting on May 13. There are 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and a 147-member assembly. 

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