Bhubaneswar, May 1 (IANS): Odisha continued to reel under severe heat wave conditions as the mercury touched 46 degrees Celsius in two cities of the state on Tuesday, while 15 places recorded 44 degrees or higher, a senior India Meteorological Department official said.

Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, at 46.4 degrees Celsius, logged the all-time highest temperature for the city. Previously, it had recorded a high of 46.1 degrees on April 21, 2010.

Baripada, along with Balasore and Bhubaneswar, were placed among the top 10 hottest places across the globe on Tuesday, with the first two being the second and third hottest places.

Balasore recorded 46 degrees Celsius while the temperature reached 45.4 degrees in the state capital, which was at the tenth spot in the list of hottest places on Tuesday.

The all-time highest temperature (49.6 degrees Celsius) during the month of April in Odisha was recorded in Titlagarh on April 26, 1976. Prior to this, the temperature had touched the 49 degrees Celsius mark in Bolangir on April 22, 1973.

As per the IMD bulletin, there is no respite from severe heat wave conditions for the state during the next three to four days. The weather forecasting agency has issued a red alert for extreme heat wave conditions for several districts of Odisha for the next three days.