Orissa sizzles: Intense heat wave to persist for two days.

While almost all parts of Orissa are sizzling under intense heat wave conditions for the last two days, the local Met office has confirmed that the condition would continue for the next 48 hours adding further misery to the people.
Scorching heat with mercury shooting up above 40 deg Celsius in most parts of the state accompanied by north-west dry and hot wind on Saturday virtually paralysed normal life in the entire state.
Mercury in many places went above 40 degree Celsius, highest being recorded at Sundargarh with 44.9 degree Celsius as the death toll due to sunstroke in the state rose to 13.
The death toll due to sunstroke had gone up to 13 after three more deaths were reported since April 30, official sources said on Saturday even as unofficial sources put the number of deaths at 63.Highest number of three sun stroke deaths each was confirmed from Khurda, Angul and Dhenkanal districts while one each death was confirmed in Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Sambalpur districts, Revenue and Disaster management department control room sources said.
As temperature in at least three places was recorded five degree celsius above normal on Saturday, a heat wave can now be declared in Orissa, director of Met office SC Sahu said.

The capital city of Bhubaneswar on Saturday recorded 44 degree Celsius, highest this season and also highest in first week of May during last eight years.
In fact, starting from 9 in the morning till late dusk the temperature forced the city residents to remain indoors. Besides, most of the business establishments downed their shutters. Though the roads wore a deserted look, a few commuters who ventured outside were seen taking watermelons alongside the city roads.

The humidity as high as 92 percent added to the gruelling heat in the city.
The places where temperature rose above 40 degree Celsius on Saturday included Cuttack (43.3), Chandbali (42), Keonjhar (41,4), Jharsuguda (43.5), Sambalpur (41.8), Hirakud (43), Titlagarh (43), Phulbani (41), Angul (43.7), Balangir (42.8), Bhawanipatna (40.7) and Malkangiri (40.5).

Meanwhile, the Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) had issued a strong warning with a request to the denizens not to go outside during peak hours of the day if there is no urgency at all. From the beginning of May the temperature rise in capital city has really become an obsession. Weather experts are of the opinion that the intense heat added misery to life in many parts of the state, because the humidity percentage comes down to 25.