Rain takes toll of seven in Karnataka

New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Seven people, including three women, died in Karnataka following heavy rain today.

Four fishermen were killed when lightning struck them in Mysore district while in the city, a mother and her two teenaged daughters were washed away in flash flood at Bannimantappa Extension.

The national capital got a respite from last week's simmering heat as it received light rains in the afternoon today. The mercury dropped by seven degrees to 32.3 degree Celsius as Delhiites witnessed a pleasant weather after the afternoon showers, measuring 5.3 mm, was accompanied by strong breeze.

Met department said the change in weather was result of upper air cyclonic circulation over North-West India, created due to low pressure.

Heavy rains followed by hailstorms lashed Shimla and other surrounding areas which had recorded temperature of over 25 degreeS for the last two consecutive days. Thick cloud cover had reduced the visibility in the town and drivers were forced to turn on their fog lights while driving.

The maximum temperature at Shimla town, while receiving 21.5 mm of rain up to 1730 hrs, fell to 17.6 degrees. Rains were also followed by hailstorm and thundershowers have caused damage to the standing wheat and other fruit crops in the state.

Amritsar was the hottest place in the plains as heat wave conditions prevailed in parts of Punjab and Haryana even as the mercury was below normal at some places in the region today.

Intense heatwave swept Amritsar recording 42.7 degrees celsius, six degrees above normal. However, the mercury dipped to 37.6 degrees at Ludhiana and to 36.7 degrees, two degrees below normal, at Patiala.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in Bhopal, Ujjain and Hoshangabad divisions in western Madhya Pradesh(MP) with many areas sizzling at 45 degree Celsius.

The weather office forecast thunder showers or isolated rains at a few places across MP, West Bengal, Northeastern states and western parts of the country in the next 24 hours.

Heatwave conditions continued in most parts of West Bengal as mercury soared today. The maximum temperature today was recorded at 37 degrees Celsius while the maximum relative humidity was pegged at 89 per cent while the minimum was 49 per cent.

Isolated rain occurred over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, even as the weather remained mainly dry over Rayalaseema and Telangana. The highest maximum temperature of 44 degree Celsius was recorded at Medak.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir and north Rajasthan, in some parts of west Madhya Pradesh, and at isolated places in Punjab, north Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha.

Hot day conditions prevailed at isolated places in Haryana and Marathwada.

Day temperatures were markedly above normal in Assam and Meghalaya, appreciably above normal in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and south interior Karnataka, in some parts of Tamil Nadu, and in remaining parts of Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha. They were above normal in east Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, north Konkan, Goa, Telangana, Rayalaseema, coastal Karnataka and in remaining parts of Tamil Nadu.

Day temperatures were appreciably to markedly below normal in Jharkhand, Bihar, north Orissa and east Uttar Pradesh. They were normal over the rest of the country.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and at many places in south interior Karnataka.

Rain or thundershowers have also occurred at a few places in Uttaranchal, north interior Karnataka, and at isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Orissa, Bihar, west Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema and Kerala. Mainly dry weather prevailed over Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Jharkhand, east Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Marathwada, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, coastal Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

UNI