Simmering heat continues, Delhi records 45°C

New Delhi: Heat wave conditions intensified on Friday in most parts of the country with temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, affecting normal life.

Mercury in capital Delhi settled at a high of 45 degrees, five notches above normal, after recording season`s highest of 45.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday. While the minimum temperature was recorded at 29.5 degrees, the maximum and minimum humidity levels settled at 45 and 22 per cent respectively. Simmering heat swept the entire Punjab and Haryana region, with Amritsar continuing to be the hottest place with a maximum of 47.7 degrees Celsius, the Met department said. While Hisar was the hottest in Haryana with 47.3 degrees, Union Territory of Chandigarh registered a maximum of 43 degrees Celsius. Temperature settled above the 45 degree-mark in most parts of Rajasthan, where Sriganganagar remained the hottest place with a maximum of 47.4 degrees, 5 notches above normal, followed by Churu, which recorded 46.4 degrees Celsius. Kota, Bikaner and Jaipur recorded highs of 45.6, 45.5 and 44.4 degrees Celsius respectively, the Met department said. Similar conditions prevailed in Uttar Pradesh also, where acute power crisis forced people to take to the streets. Protests were reported from various districts, where people shouted slogans and burnt effigies of the power department. Banda was the hottest place with a maximum of 47.4 degrees Celsius and the temperature settled largely above normal in most parts of UP including the Allahabad, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly, Kanpur and Moradabad divisions. The heat wave killed 16 peacocks at a village in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh during the past 24 hours, officials said. District Collector N B S Rajput said that he has given instructions to the forest and veterinary departments to make adequate arrangements of food and water to save the birds from excessive heat conditions prevailing in the region. Khajuraho was the hottest place in MP with a maximum of 47 degrees Celsius, followed by Gwalior, which registered a high of 46.2 degrees Celsius. Heat wave continued to sweep Maharashtra`s Vidarbha region also, even though the mercury in Nagpur, after settling at an all-time high of 47.9 degrees on May 22, maintained a declining trend for the second consecutive day to settle at 46.3 degrees Celsius. PTI