<span style="color: #222222;">Odisha continued to sizzle as the mercury soared past 40 degree Celsius at 14 places yesterday. Titlagarh was the hottest place in the state with the temperature soaring up to 45 degrees Celsius. Most of the Western Odisha towns have crossed 42 degrees Celsius. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The coastal pockets were not spared by the heat as the humidity levels soared, making life uncomfortable. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Long spells of intense heat have dried up the water bodies and rivers in the state and all schools have been closed till June. The increasing day temperature paralysed normal life in several places with people preferring to stay indoors. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">According to the local meteorological centre, the prevailing heat wave conditions are likely to continue in all most all parts of for the next few days. Regional Met centre has issued Distant Cautionary Signal Number One (DC-1) warning at all ports across the state in view of the deep depression over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal.</span><br />