Bhubaneswar, Apr 26 (PTI) Odisha drooped on Tuesday as heatwave roasted parts of the state with the mercury crossing 40 degrees Celsius in 22 places, the weather office said.

The blistering heatwave scorched parts of Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Angul, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Bolangir and Mayurbhanj districts, it said.

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The condition occurs when the maximum is 4.5-6.4 notches above normal and at least 40 degrees in the plains or 37 in the coastal areas at two weather stations or more in a meteorological subdivision for two consecutive days.

Fourteen weather stations recorded 42 degrees Celsius or more as Boudh town logged the highest of 44.5 degrees Celsius, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.

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The temperature shot up to 43.9 degrees Celsius in Jharsuguda, three notches above normal. Bolangir broiled in the scorching sun as the district headquarters recorded 43.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 43.5 in Titilagarh.

The temperature settled at 39.6 degrees Celsius in the capital, three notches higher than normal. Cuttack recorded 38.2 degrees, two levels above average, the weather office said.

Incursion of the southerly winds will lead to a slight fall in the maximum by around two degrees across coastal Odisha over the next couple of days.

The mercury can soar by two degrees at a few places in the interior region due to the northwesterly-westerly dry air and high solar insolation.

The weather office issued a 'Yellow' warning of heatwave in many districts of western Odisha for the next four days. The alert denotes that the heat is tolerable, but there is a slight health concern for vulnerable sections such as the elderly and infants.

Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said there has been no death till now due to the searing heat.

Sufficient awareness was being created among the people at the district level to stop daily work and not go out during the hot weather, he said.

The weather office urged people to take precautionary measures while going outside between 11 am and 3 pm.

"People should avoid the heat exposure as much as possible and use umbrellas, sunglasses and carry water bottles while going out," Mishra said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)