The heat fury was telling on orissa where 112 deaths -- mostly due to sunstroke -- were reported since yesterday pushing the number of state-wide casualties to 171.

Industrial town Sambhalpur in western Orissa was the hardest-hit accounting for 61 deaths followed by Bolangir (29), Dhenkanal (22) and Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Cuttack (10 each).

With the merciless sun showing no sign of relenting in the state, mercury soared to 48 degrees celsius at Jharsuguda, 46.1 at Angul and 44.1 in Bhubaneswar.

A 62-year-old man died today in Gujarat where the heat wave flu so far has claimed 12 lives.

Fourteen people fell to prolonged heat wave in Madhya Pradesh this summer as state capital Bhopal reeled under 47.9 degrees celsius confining people indoors.

Since the onset of the torrid heat,Orissa accounted for 171 deaths followed by Andhra Pradesh (110), Rajasthan (84), Uttar Pradesh (40), Maharashtra (25), Bihar (21), Madhya Pradesh (14), Gujarat (12), West Bengal (six), Punjab (seven), Chandigarh two and Tamil Nadu (one).

Mercury fell a few notches in some parts of Haryana as a duststorm hit Chandigarh and neighbouring areas.

Delhi, where the temperature shot up to 46.6 degrees celsius yesterday -- the highest-ever since 1944, experienced another hot day today registering 44.6.Several complaints of severe power cuts and water shortage were received from various parts of the city.

Met officials said the dry spell would continue tomorrow as well.JAIPUR: The heat wave sweeping most parts of Rajasthan claimed 17 more lives during the last two days raising the death toll in the current summer to 101, reports said here today.

Nine persons died of sunstroke, dehydration and related diseases in Jaipur followed by six in Ganganagar and one each in Bikaner and Hanumangarh, the reportssaid.

Earlier, 84 people had died due to intense heat wave conditions in parts of the state, the reports said.

Meanwhile, the intense heat wave conditions continued for the 16th consecutive day today with mercury level soaring up to 48 degree celsius in dholpur today.

While Ganganagar, Barmer and Kota recorded the maximum day temperature of 45 degree celsius, Jaisalmer recorded 44 degree celsius, and Tonk and Pilani 43 degree celsius. The capital city of Jaipur also continued to reel under scorching heat registering maximum day temperature of 43.2 degree celsius.

The weather office said the heat wave was likely to continue for next two days.

CHENNAI: The heat wave, along with humid conditions, continued to prevail in several parts of tamil nadu, but a relief from the heat was likely in the next few days, with the onset of the southwest monsoon over kerala, the regional meteorological centre here said.

The heat wave conditions were likely to continue during the next couple of days and thetemperatures could rise six to seven degree celsius above normal, the centre said.