Mercury further rises in region

Chandigarh, June 22 (UNI) Schorching heat prevailed in north-west India as the mercury continued its upward movement despite rains but hovered below normalat most places in the region today.

Several areas in the region, including Narnaul, Hoshiarpur, Nangal Dam, Madhopur, Shahpur Kandi, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Bhuntar, Shimla, Sundernagar, Kalpa and Kasol, were lashed by rain overnight.

People groaned under hot weather conditions in Punjab where Patiala was the hottest place recording 38.2 degrees celsius, two degrees below normal. The maximum also hovered below normal by four degrees at Amritsar and three degrees at Ludhiana, respectively recording 36.0 degrees and 37.2 degrees celsius.

The mercury soared to 37.8 degrees celsius at Ambala, turning it the hottest place in Haryana. Hissar and Karnal recorded four degrees below normal temperatures at 37.0 degrees and 35.0 degrees respectively.

The temperatures also rose in Himachal Pradesh with Bhuntar in Kullu district recording 34.8 degrees, Sunderdnagar in Mandi district 34.9 degrees and Kalpa in Kinnaur district 24.7 degrees.

State capital Shimla recorded the temperature at 24.3 degrees.

Hot weather conditions prevailed in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas as the mercury further rose from 37.0 degrees to 38.4 degrees in the city.

Yesterday's western disturbance lying over Jammu and Kashmir and neighbourhood has moved away eastwards across western Himalayas.

Upper air cyclonic circulation over west Rajasthan and neighbourhood now lay over central parts of Rajasthan between 3.1 km and 4.5 km above sea level, according to the weather office here.

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

UNI