Bhubaneswar, May 20: Odisha continues to battle extreme summer heat as Jharsuguda recorded a scorching 46°C on Wednesday, marking the highest temperatures of the season in the state.

This comes close to the all-time May records of 48°C on May 28, 1998, 47.6°C on May 24, 1998, and 47.5°C on May 20, 1978. More recently, on May 31, 2024, Jharsuguda had touched 47°C, showing a worrying trend of rising temperatures.

By 2:30 PM on Wednesday, Jharsuguda had already crossed 45.2°C, while Sambalpur recorded 45°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued multiple alerts across the state, warning of severe heatwave conditions, warm nights, and thunderstorms in the coming days.

Also read: Hirakud Records 44°C as Scorching HeatGrips Odisha

Heatwave Alerts

IMD has issued heatwave warnings for Nayagarh, Angul, Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda districts over the next 24 hours. Balangir and Sambalpur are expected to experience unusually warm nights.

Sixteen districts including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Boudh, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Khordha, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore are under a yellow warning for hot and humid conditions.

Thunderstorm Warnings

Thunderstorm activity is also forecast. Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj are under an orange alert for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, heavy rainfall, and gusty winds reaching 50-60 km/h.

Twenty other districts are under a yellow alert for thunderstorms with wind speeds of 30-50 km/h. These conditions are expected to persist until May 23, with thunderstorm warnings continuing until May 26.

Rising Temperatures

On Tuesday, 21 districts recorded temperatures above 40°C, with Jharsuguda registering the highest at 44.8°C. Meteorologists warn that if the current trend continues, temperatures may cross the mark in several other districts later this week.

The IMD has also indicated that no significant change in maximum temperatures is expected over the next 6-7 days.

With both scorching heat and thunderstorm activity predicted, Odisha faces a challenging week ahead as summer intensifies.