Hissar records 45 degrees celsius

Chandigarh, May 27 (UNI) Heat wave conditions returned to parts of Haryana and Punjab today with the mercury soaring to 45 degrees celsius at Hissar and 43.9 degrees celsius at Amritsar, turning them to hottest places in respective states.

Intense heat wave swept Hissar and its adjoining areas, forcing people to stay indoors. The markets gave a deserted look in the town during the day. Hissar had recorded the highest temperature at 47.8 degrees celsius on May 13 this summer.

However, the mercury hovered below normal at Ambala and Karnal, respectively recording 36.9 degrees and 37 degrees celsius.

Scorching heat wave lashed Amritsar following further rise in the mercury there. The tempeature stayed four degrees above normal at Amritsar. However, Ludhiana and Patiala registered below normal temperature at 41.0 degrees and 38.9 degrees celsius.

The temperature was almost static at Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla recording 25.8 degrees, two degrees above normal. Bhuntar in Kullu district recorded 35.0 degrees, three degrees above normal, while Sundernagar in Mandi district registered 34.7 degrees. The mercury settled at 24.9 degrees at Kalpa.

The maximum, however, dropped at Chandigarh to 37.6 degrees from 39.0 degrees recorded yesterday.

Western disturbance lay over Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining north Pakistan as upper air cyclonic circulation extended upto 4.5 km above sea level, according to the weather Office here. An Induced upper air cyclonic circulation lay over central Pakistan and adjoining northwest Rajasthan and southwest Punjab.

The weather office has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places in Himachal Pradesh and duststorm or thunderstorm with light to moderate rain at few places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours. Hailstorm or thundersquall with wind speed exceeding 65 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region during the period.

UNI VKJ CH BST2111