New Delhi: There was no respite from the heat across the country today as temperatures stayed above the 40 degree mark at many places in northen, central and eastern India.
The mercury touched 46.5 degree celsius in Bokaro and
45.7 degrees in Jamshedpur as Jharkhand reeled under intense
heat.
The heat wave has led to a water crisis with several
rivers and rivulets having dried up in the state and the
administration supplying water through tankers.
In West Bengal, heat wave conditions continued in
Purulia, West Midnapore, Burdwan, Birbhum and Bankura. Bankura
was the hottest at 46.1 degrees.
In capital Kolkata, residents bore the brunt of power
cuts and humidity oscillating between 90 percent and 53
per cent. The day temperature was recorded two degrees above
normal at 38.4 degrees.
The sun also shone fiercely in central India with
Sidhi and Khajuraho being the hottest in Madhya Pradesh at 46
degrees. They were closely followed by Gwalior at 44 degrees.
State capital Bhopal too experienced the hottest day
of this season so far at 43.4 degrees.
In Punjab and Haryana, power shortages added to the
woes of residents as daytime temperatures were up to seven
degrees above normal.
Hisar was the hottest place in both states at a high
of 43.6 degrees while the mercury settled at 42 degrees in
Bhiwani, five notches above normal.
In Punjab, Ludhiana recorded a maximum temperature of
41 degrees, five marks above normal while Amritsar saw the
mercury settle at 41.4 degrees, seven degrees above normal. In
Chandigarh, the mercury settled at 40.2 degrees.
The national capital saw the mercury settle at 41.8
degrees during the day, six degrees above normal. The high was
a slight dip as compared to yesterday`s 42.1 degrees, the Met
office said.
The minimum was recorded at 29 degrees as against 29.5
degrees a day before and the humidity oscillated between 21
and 40 percent.
In Rajasthan, Churu was the hottest at 44 degrees
while Jaipur experienced a daytime temperature of 41.5
degrees.
In Himachal Pradesh, the mercury settled at 26.1
degrees in the Queen of the Hills and 36.3 degrees in
Sundernagar.
In Jammu and Kashmir, despite overnight rains,
temperatures still stayed above normal in the state. The
daytime temperature was 39.1 degrees in Jammu, 7.1 degrees
above normal. In Srinagar, the high was recorded at 21.6
degrees.
The month of April has been unusually hot this year
with 54 people succumbing to the heat across the country so
far. Most of the deaths have taken place in Orissa.
PTI
