Mercury soars to 45.5 degrees in Odisha's coal belt

Bhubaneswar, May 1 (IANS) Odisha Thursday continued to reel under severe heat wave conditions, with the mercury soaring to 45.5 degrees Celsius in the state's coal belt, an official said.

The coal town of Talcher in Angul district, about 170 km from Bhubaneswar, recorded a maximum temperature of 45.5 degrees Celsius, the state's highest so far this season, an official of the Bhubaneswar meteorological centre told IANS.

People stayed indoors after 10 a.m., shops were closed and roads wore a deserted look in the town known for its coal reserves and a number of coal mines.

The mercury also crossed 40 degrees in as many as 14 other places.

Sonepur was the second hottest place, recording a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius followed by Angul at 43.1 degrees Celsius.

Hirakud and Titilagarh recorded temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius each, while Bhubaneswar and adjoining Cuttack remained comparatively cooler, recording maximum temperatures of 41.2 degrees and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The situation was unlikely to change although light rain or thundershowers may occur at some places in the next two days, the met centre said.