25 Odisha districts get heat wave warning

The government-run Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) on Tuesday issued a heat wave warning to as many as 25 out of the 30 districts in the state till May 25.

Severe heat wave conditions will prevail in some of these districts.

The warning has been issued to ten districts in the state's coastal region, six in the western region, five in the south and four in the state's northern belt.

Of the ten coastal districts, five— Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur— were severely ravaged by the cyclone Fani recently.

State capital Bhubaneswar which was also hit hard by the cyclone is part of Khurda district.

OSDMA has issued an advisory and has appealed people to strictly follow it.

“Avoid going out in the sun especially between 12 noon and 3 pm and stay indoors as much as possible”, the advisory said adding that people should also avoid strenuous activities when outside in the afternoon.

The authority has also advised people to avoid alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks that dehydrate the body and drink sufficient water even if not thirsty.

It has advised to avoid cooking during peak heat wave hours.

The OSDMA warning prompted the state revenue department to alert collectors of all the 25 districts and ordered them to take precautionary measures to handle the situation.

Heatwave control rooms have already been opened in all the 30 districts. May is considered a heat wave month for Odisha.