Thirty-four people died in Orissa since yesterday, taking the toll to 59 as the entire western belt of Orissa turned into an inferno, recording 49.8 degrees celsius. Sambalpur bore the brunt of the summer fury, reporting 24 deaths since yesterday.

Nearby Jharsuguda town also continued to reel under the heat wave, with the mercury touching 47.2 degrees celsius. The colliery belt of Angul and Talcher experienced temperatures exceeding 46 degrees celsius as also Bolangir town. Although Bhubaneswar city recorded a comparatively cooler temperature of 41 degrees celsius, people continued to suffer because of the high humidity and acute drinking water shortage. The water crisis had erupted because the river beds had gone dry, making it difficult for the public health department to pump water into the city, officialssaid. In Uttar Pradesh, two more deaths were reported, raising the toll to 40, while in Punjab, two more died, taking the toll in the state to seven. Hisar was the hottest place in Haryana recording 48.7 degree celsius.

There was little respite from the searing sun in most regions and normal life was disrupted as people preferred to stay away from the scorching outdoors and vehicular traffic reduced to a trickle.

Since the onslaught of the searing heat, Rajasthan, the worst-hit state, accounted for 65 casualties followed by Andhra Pradesh (59), Orissa (59), Uttar Pradesh (40), Maharashtra (25), Bihar (12), Gujarat (11), West Bengal (six), Punjab (seven), Chandigarh (two) and Tamil Nadu (one).

In Andhra Pradesh, in the past five days, the heat wave claimed at least 110 lives, with east and west Godavari districts alone accounting for 51 deaths.

The dry spell claimed 34 lives in east Godavari and 17 in west district since Sunday with mercury soaring up to 44 degrees celsius. Most of the deaths occurredin Amalpuram, Polavaram, Achanta and Poduru.

In Tamil Nadu, Chennai and its suburbs experienced the season's hottest day, at 43.9 degrees celsius.