Orissa heat wave toll rises to 31

The death toll in the heat wave sweeping across Orissa has risen to 31 on Monday, an official said.

"The death toll due to heat wave has risen to 31," Manoranjan Chaudhury, officer on special duty in the state revenue control room, said.

The Meteorological department here said many towns in the western part of the state continued to record temperatures of over 44 degrees Celsius.

"We have issued warning that the heat wave condition is likely to prevail in interior part of the state," meteorologist DC Jena said.

The highest temperature was recorded at 45.6 degrees Celsius in western Orissa's Sambalpur town on Sunday followed by Jharsuguda town with 45.3 degrees.

Bhubaneswar recorded a high of 40.6 degrees.