Odisha's Boudh remains hottest place in country for third consecutive day

Bhubaneswar: Odisha's Boudh remained the hottest place in the country for the third consecutive day on Monday, recording the maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius, IMD sources said.

Bargarh, which recorded 42 degrees Celsius, was the second-hottest place in the country, while Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh was at the third spot, sizzling at 41.3 degrees Celsius.

Severe heatwave continued to sweep Boudh, which had recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 43.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Other places that recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius were Angul (40.7), Titlagarh (40.5) and Malkangiri (40.2), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The maximum temperatures hovered between 39 and 40 degrees Celsius at nine places -- Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Talcher, Bhawanipatna, Hirakud, Sundargarh and Khurda.

The maximum temperatures at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack were 36.7 and 37 degrees Celsius, respectively, it said.

The weather office issued a heatwave warning for six districts of Odisha for Tuesday.

It issued an 'orange warning' (be prepared) for Jharsuguda and Boudh, and a 'yellow warning' (be aware) for Bolangir, Sundargarh, Angul and Kalahandi districts.

Similar hot weather conditions would continue to prevail in Odisha for another day, it said.

Thunderstorms with lightning were expected in some places of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts on Tuesday.

Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Director Manorama Mohanty said the state was going to get relief from the heatwave from March 20 onwards.

The IMD, in a release, said that heatwave conditions were likely to abate from east central India, except interior Odisha, from Tuesday onwards.

"Light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and hailstorms are likely over east central India from March 19-23, with peak activity on March 20 and 21," the IMD said.