The mercury came down on Sunday in many parts of the State. Balangir was the hottest recording a temperature of 42.5 degree Celsius.
With most parts of the State witnessing a sharp fall in temperature, the Meteorological Centre here predicted that the mercury would come down further as there is a possibility of more rainfalls in next four days.
According to the Met Centre, a trough line, which is formed over Rajasthan and stretched up to the Odisha coast, has remained at the mean sea level. Besides, a cyclonic circulation has formed over Jharkhand extending up to 1.5 km from the surface level. Due to these synoptic conditions, there would be rain or thunderstorm at one or two places in Odisha for three days from May 9.
There would be comparatively more rainfall with thunderstorm in some parts of the State for four days from May 12.
Besides Balangir, the temperature rose to 40 degrees and above in seven other places: Jharusuguda (41.6), Sambalpur (42.3), Sundergarh (40.5), Hirakud (41.2), Bhawanipatna (41.2), Titlagarh (40) and Sonepur (41.2).
The temperature in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar was 36.5 and 38.4 degree Celsius, respectively.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office stated that it has received death reports of 168 persons due sunstroke from different parts in the State, of which death in 16 cases has been confirmed to be due to sunstroke.