NEW DELHI: Maximum temperatures dipped in parts of Rajasthan today owing to an incoming western disturbance even as many places in the country continued to sizzle under intense heat.
The national capital today experiencing the hottest day in April in the last seven years as the mercury crossed the 43 degrees Celsius mark in some parts of the city which reeled under heatwave.
The Safdarjung observatory, whose recording is considered the official figure for Delhi, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius. Areas under Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar registered maximum temperatures of 43.7, 41.8, 43.4 and 42.6 degrees Celsius, respectively, the MeT department said. Several places in western Rajasthan experienced a slight relief from the scorching heat as maximum temperatures fell by one to three degrees Celsius. Western disturbance will reach the state tomorrow thus changing the wind pattern which led to dip in maximum temperatures, the MeT department said. Sriganganagar was the hottest place in the state with maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius followed by Churu 45.5 degrees Celsius, Pilani 44.6 degrees Celsius, Kota 44 degrees Celsius Bikaner 43.6 degrees Celsius and Jaipur 43 degrees Celsius. Odisha continued to sizzle under intense heat, mainly in the western region with Balangir being the hottest place in the state recording a high of 44.5 degrees Celsius. The mercury breached the 40-degree mark in at least 10 places in the state as Titlagarh, also in Balangir district, recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius. Two sunstroke deaths have so far been reported in the state — one from Bargarh and the other from Angul district. Bhawanipatna recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius, followed by 42.4 degrees Celsius in Malkangiri, 42.3 degrees Celsius in Angul town, 41.4 degrees Celsius in Hirakud and 41 degrees in both Jharsuguda and Talcher. Intense heatwave conditions continued to prevail in parts of Haryana and Punjab, with Narnaul once again turning out to be the hottest place in the two states at 44.8 degrees Celsius. Hisar was closely behind at 44.7 degrees Celsius, while Ambala and Karnal also recorded above normal maximum temperatures of 40.2 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius respectively. The mercury touched 43.6 degrees Celsius at Amritsar. Ludhiana too had a hot day at 43.2 degrees Celsius, while Patiala sizzled at 42.6 degrees Celsius. Weather remained dry in most parts of Uttar Pradesh while heatwave conditions were experienced at isolated places in the western region of the state. Jhansi was the hottest place in the state, where mercury touched a high of 43.8 degrees Celsius. With temperatures soaring above the 40 degree mark in many parts of Telangana today, the IMD has warned of heatwave like conditions in all districts of the state tomorrow. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mahabubnagar, Khammam and Hyderabad city witnessed heatwave conditions yesterday. Day temperatures rose marginally in most parts of Himachal Pradesh today even as the local MeT office has warned of hailstorm and squall in the lower hills later this week in lower hills. The mercury rose to 41 degrees Celsius at Una in the lower hills while Shimla recorded a high of 27.5 degrees Celsius. Manali registered a high of 26 degrees Celsius, while the mercury touched 35.8 degrees Celsius at Sundernagar, 34.8 degrees in Bhuntar and 33.5 degrees Celsius at Solan. The weather in Bihar remained dry since yesterday with Gaya recording the highest maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in the state capital was 37.4 degrees Celsius. Bhagalpur recorded a high of 38.2 degrees Celsius.–PTI
