North India continues to reel under searing heat

New Delhi, June 10 (UNI) Sixteen more deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh in the past 24 hours as heatwave conditions continued to grip North and Central India.

According to reports, in UP three people each died in Mahoba and Hamirpur. Besides, two other died in Etawah, Agra and Jhansi, while one each succumbed in Sonebhadra, Bagpat and Gonda districts.

So far, the fatal heatwave has killed over 30 people in Mahoba alone.

Agra, for the second consecutive day, was the hottest at 47 degrees, six degrees above normal. Lucknow wilted at 42.4 degrees, followed by 42.4 degrees C in Allahabad.

Despite a fall of one nearly degree in the temperature and scant clouds appearing on the horizon at intervals heat wave conditions continued in the national capital.

Even as maximum temperature for the day clocked 44.0 degrees, which was four degrees above normal and a degree below yesterday's 'peak of the season' 44.9 degrees, the weatherman predicted abating of the heat wave conditions in Delhi in coming days.

The North West plains of Punjab and Haryana also continued to sizzle, with Amritsar recording the highest temperature at 46.0 degrees.

The mercury stayed five to seven notches above normal, making the people groan under severe heat wave caused due to the blowing of north-westerly hot and strong winds, according to the Weather Office.

Frequent power-cuts and water scarcity added to their woes.

In Punjab, severe heat wave conditions also prevailed at Patiala and industrial hub Ludhiana where the mercury was recorded at 45.0 degrees and 45.1 degrees, six degrees above normal, respectively.

Though there was a one degree drop in the maximum temperature in Amritsar since yesterday, it was the hottest place in the plains at 46.0 degrees, seven degrees above normal.

The temperature in Chandigarh hovered at 43.8 degrees.

In Haryana, the temperatures at Ambala, Karnal and Hisar were recorded at 44.0, 44.2 and 45.2 degrees respectively, four degrees above normal.

Heat wave conditions also prevailed in some parts of Himachal Pradesh with Una recording 42.2 degrees, Sundernagar 41.0 degrees and Bhuntar 38.4 degrees. The capital town of Shimla recorded the maximum at 31.5 degrees, seven degrees above normal.

The weather office has predicted mainly sunny days in the region with hot and strong winds in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours.

Elsewhere in North India, Jammu and Kashmir registered the highest temperature of this season so far with the mercury rising to scorching 46.3 degrees Celsius in the winter capital and 34.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in Jammu where the maximum temperature soared to 46.3 degrees Celsius while the minimum stood at 26.8 degrees Celsius.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in northern and eastern part of Madhya Pradesh with Khajuraho and Datia recording highest 47 degrees In Bihar, the people of Patna breathed a sigh of relief from the scorching heat following morning showers.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon has been active in Asom, Meghalaya, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur at many places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Heavy rains are likely to occur at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, south Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and Lakshadweep.

Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and at a few places in east Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, north Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and interior Karnataka.

UNI