Bhubaneswar: With heatwave sweeping parts of Odisha, Jharsuguda on Tuesday recorded the highest maximum temperature of the season at 45.3°C.
The mercury soared past 40°C at as many as 12 places in the state. Besides the industrial town of Jharsuguda, Boudh recorded 43.7°C, followed by Sambalpur at 43.5°C, Hirakud at 43.4°C, Bargarh at 42.9°C, Nuapada at 42.5°C, Titlagarh at 42.2°C, Talcher and Balangir at 42°C each, Sonepur at 41.9°C, Bhawanipatna at 41.8°C, Sundargarh at 41.5°C and Rourkela at 40.7°C, according to updates shared by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather agency had earlier warned of heatwaves at isolated places in the districts of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Nayagarh and Bargarh on April 28. Sultry weather was also expected at isolated places in Angul, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Balangir, Bargarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati.
The coastal areas were relatively cooler with Puri at 33.2°C, Gopalpur at 31.4°C, Jagatsinghpur at 35°C, Kendrapda at 36.2°C and Balasore at 37°C as formation of a trough line has heightened thunderstorm activity in the state. The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 34.5°C and 34.6°C respectively.
Meanwhile, the Centre has issued advisories to all states and union territories, urging them to ensure adequate rest and cooling measures for outdoor and factory workers. Adequate measures will also have to be taken to prevent and manage heat stroke cases among others.
The Labour and Employment Ministry, in its advisory told state and UT chief secretaries to enable establishments to reschedule working hours, enhance the manpower to divide the workload and provide adequate rest and cooling measures, particularly for factory, mine and construction workers.
The Health Ministry, in a communication to state health authorities, has directed them to take four urgent steps: set up dedicated heat stroke management units at every health facility, ensure ambulance services are fully operational and adequately staffed, disseminate early warnings to communities in time for preventive action, and report heat stroke cases in real time through the ministry’s Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.