Respite in North due to intermittent rains, South sweats

New Delhi, May 20 (UNI) Mercury dipped slightly in North West India today due to intermittent rains but soared to 40 degrees Celsius in Chennai.

The maximum temperatures at most places in the North West plains stayed one to three degrees below normal with Karnal being the hottest in the region at 40 degrees.

The Met office has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at few places in Himachal Pradesh and isolated places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours.

Hailstorm or thundersquall with speed exceeding 45 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region as well.

Kashmir continued to experience pleasant weather for the second consecutive day today as slight drizzle in the evening further lowered the temperature.

The maximum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 23.6 degrees.

The Met office has predicted rain and thundershowers at many places in the state.

Rain in some parts of northern Rajasthan brought some respite.

The temperature dropped by an average of 3-4 degrees all over the state due to the unseasonal rain.

Two drug addicts have died due to sunstroke in the last two days in the state.

Delhi also witnessed a slight decrease in the temperature with maximum at 39.2 degrees two degrees below normal.

The Met office has predicted duststorms and thunderstorms accompained with squalls in some parts of the national capital.

Heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh since the past 2-3 days brought respite from the intense heat at several places, including the state capital, where maximum temperature dropped to 40 degrees.

Two people were killed and four injured in Badwani district when the downpour and strong winds lashed the district last evening disrupting normal life.

After a brief pleasant weather, Uttar Pradesh reeled under hot and humid conditions once again with the mercury rising in most parts of the state.

The coolness in the air is expected to return with weatherman forecasting rain and thundershowers in the next 24 hours.

People in Bihar continued to swelter with mercury rising.

Local MET office said the day's maximum temparature in Patna was recorded at 36.2 degrees , while the minimum was at 24.8 degrees .

Parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh witnessed a rise in mercury with isolated rains in few places as dry weather loomed over Telangana and Rayalaseema.

The people of Chennai suffered from intense heat as the mercury once again soared over 40 degrees after it had dipped to 38 degrees in the city yesterday due to early setting of sea breeze.

Day temperatures were appreciably to markedly stayed above normal in Arunachal Pradesh, Asom, Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

They were above normal in some parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, coastal Orissa, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Kerala.

Rain or thundershowers occurred at many places in Asom, Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and at a few places in Arunachal Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and at isolated places in Bihar.

UNI