Orissa heat wave toll rises to 31

"The death toll due to heat wave has risen to 31," Manoranjan Chaudhury, officer on special duty in the state revenue control room, told IANS.

The meteorological department here said many towns in the western part of the state continued to record temperatures of over 44 degrees Celsius.

"We have issued warning that the heat wave condition is likely to prevail in interior part of the state," meteorologist D.C. Jena told IANS.

The highest temperature was recorded at 45.6 degrees Celsius in western Orissa's Sambalpur town Sunday followed by Jharsuguda town with 45.3 degrees.

Bhubaneswar recorded a high of 40.6 degrees.