The heat wave is here to stay, at least for the current week. With mercury level showing a steady rise across the State, any immediate relief from the sweltering conditions is unlikely. The formation of a troughline around Friday may decide how the next fortnight will go.

On Monday, as many as 14 stations __ spread across coastal, western, northern and central Odisha pockets  __ recorded 40-degree-plus temperature signalling that the entire State was under the grip of  blistering conditions. Titlagarh (42.2 degree) and Sambalpur (42 degree) were the hottest places.