The last two days have been hottest in the capital city with mercury level touching 42 degree Celsius. The entire State was hit, with mercury level hovering between 40 and 42.2 degree Celsius on Friday. The high temperature will continue for the next 48 hours, weatherman said.
The coal township of Talcher recorded 41.2 degree Celsius, followed by Titilagarh 40.6, Bhawanipatna 40.5, Balangir and Chandbali 40.8 each, Baripada and Malkangiri 40.5 each and Baleswar and Sambalpur recording 40 degree Celsius each, the meteorological centre informed.
The unprecedented rise in the mercury paralysed normal life in the city between 9 am and 4 pm. It was just unbearable inside as well as the fans and coolers were of no help. The roads and market places wore a deserted look. The State Government has written a letter to the Central Government to declare the heat wave as a natural disaster. “The Centre considers cold wave as natural disaster, but not heat wave. But we want the present heat wave to be declared a natural disaster and provide requisite assistance to the State,” said Special Relief Commissioner Pradipta Mohapatra.