Bhubaneswar, April 27: With heatwave sweeping across Odisha, the mercury touched 44.6 degrees Celsius in the state capital on Saturday, the highest during this summer. Bhubaneswar day temperature touched 44.6 degrees Celsius during the day at 2.30 pm, weather scientist Umashaknar Dash told reporters here. He said the temperature in Bhubaneswar crossed 44 degrees Celsius for the first time this season.

Dash said the IMD has urged people not to come out of their houses between 11 am to 3 pm as hot and intense humid condition prevails in most parts of the state. The IMD said that Bhubaneswar was followed by Jharsuguda which recorded 43.6 degrees Celsius, Rourkela at 42.5, Chandbali 42.4 and Sambalpur 42.1 degrees Celsius. Heatwave Alert in India: Severe Heat Wave in Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha; Red Alert Issued, Says IMD

In its mid-day weather bulletin, the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar said that due to prevailing northwesterly/westerly dry air and high solar insolation, day temperature is likely to further increase slightly by two degrees Celsius at many places in Odisha during the next 24 hours. Thereafter, maximum temperature (day temperature) is likely to be above normal by four to six degrees Celsius in some parts of the state during the next four to five days, it said.

Meanwhile, the IMD issued a red warning (be alert) for different areas for Saturday and said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions may prevail in Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Khurda, and Cuttack districts. Heatwave Alert: IMD Issues Warning for Odisha, West Bengal and Other States, Predicts Severe Heatwave Conditions for Next Few Days

Similarly, heatwave conditions will prevail in Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Malkangiri, Ganjam, and Gajapati districts, where the orange alert was sounded. The weather office also issued heatwave warning for the next five days indicating no respite from the hot and humid weather conditions next week.