North India in grip of heat wave: 37 deaths so far in UP

New Delhi, June 3 (UNI) North-west India continued to swelter under heat wave conditions with high mercury levels in several places in Uttar Pradesh so far claiming at least 37 lives.

With the mercury hovering at 46 degrees Celsius in several places of Uttar Pradesh, the situation is not expected to change in the coming days, according to the Met department.

The death toll in Bundelkhand region today rose to 30 with four more deaths reported in Mahoba. While one each was reported dead in Lucknow, Barabanki and Varanasi, two each died in Kanpur and Chitrakoot.

Agra was the hottest at 46 degrees, which was four degrees above normal. The state capital recorded 44.6 degrees, followed by Varanasi at 44 degrees and Allahabad 45.1 degrees.

Devoid of any respite from the sweltering heat, the capital continued to sizzle at 44 degrees, three degrees above normal for the second consecutive day. The minimum temperature soared to 30.3 degrees, two degrees above normal, from yesterday's 27 degrees.

The Met department said the excessive heat was mainly due to the fact that disturbances in air flow had moved ahead and there was no circulation of air in the upper reaches in and around the Capital.

Meanwhile, five persons were killed and three others suffered burn injuries when lightning struck their hut late last night in Chundi village in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to the police, the deceased belonged to Reddivaripalem and were working in a brick industry in Chundi. Lightning struck their hut last night killing two men, two women and a 12-year-old girl while they were asleep.

In Sikkim, two persons were killed and one person was injured in a lightning strike at Rakshe on the Rakdong-Tintek constituency. Six houses were damaged due to heavy rainfall and six other were on the verge of being washed away, Sikkim reports said.

Hot weather conditions prevailed in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh with the capital hill resort of Shimla recording 28.4 degrees, the hottest day of the season. Una in lower Himachal was exceptionally hot at 43.0 degrees while Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded 36.7 degrees and Bhuntar in Kullu district recorded 31.7 degrees.

Karnal remained hot at 43.5 degrees, four degrees above normal while Ambala recorded 42.7 degrees, three degrees above normal.

Scorching heat also prevailed in Punjab with Ludhiana recording 43.5 degrees, three degrees above normal. Patiala was hot at 43.7 and Amritsar as usual remained hot at 43.0 degrees.

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