Scorching heat wave continues, death toll rises to 30

New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) The mercury shot up to 47.1 degrees Celsius in Purulia in West Bengal today as the heat wave conditions so far claimed 30 lives in various parts of the country.

Twelve people have died due to scorching heat in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, four in Maharashtra, three each in Gujarat and Jharkhand and one in Punjab.

Seven people have died of heat stroke in Purulia so far as temperature soared throughout West Bengal, with many districts in the state recording maximum temperatures of above 40 degrees.

The local Met sources said the maximum temperature recorded for the day at Purulia was 47.1 degrees Celsius.

Inhabitants of Patna and its neighbourhood heaved a sigh of relief as the mercury dipped by one degree Celsius. Patna recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees during the day, while the minimum temperature stood at 25.5 degrees. However, because of high humidity sultry weather condition continued throughout the day. The sky is predicted to remain clear during the next 24 hours.

Heat wave conditions continued to prevail in Uttar Pradesh, with over 12 people reported dead across the state in this summer till now.

Banda remained the hottest city for the second day in the state with the temperature reaching 44.8 degrees , which was four notches above normal.

Agra stood the second hottest at 44.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Varanasi 44.2, Allahabad 44.1, Kanpur 44, Lucknow and Bareilly 42.6.

The north-west part of the country also reeled under the heat wave. Amritsar was the hottest place in Punjab recording the maximum at 43.8 degrees, seven degrees above normal. The heat wave had already claimed the life of a person in Punjab. Ludhiana and Patiala showed 41.5 degrees celsius each.

Intense heat wave lashed Hissar with the maximum temperature staying 44.4 degrees celsius, five degrees above normal, turning it to the hottest place in Haryana. The maximum, however, declined at Karnal and Ambala, respectively recording 40.4 degrees and 39.9 degrees celsius.

Chandigarh, swept by hot and dusty winds during the day, recorded 41.0 degrees, four degrees above normal.

Heat wave conditions are prevailing in the lower parts of Himachal Pradesh, with Una town sizzling at 41 degrees Celsius as the hottest place, followed by 39 degrees at Hamirpur town, 37.1 at Mandi and 36.9 at Sundernagar in Mandi district.

The maximum temperature at Shimla town fell by a few notches to 26.5 degree Celsius as against 26.9 degrees recorded yesterday.

In Maharashtra, the scorching heat has claimed four lives. Bhusawal town recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius, while Jalgaon city recorded a temperature of 43 degrees celsius. People preferred remaining indoors in the afternoon.

A cloud cover over the skyline continued to bring relief to Delhiites from the scorching heat of the past couple of weeks with the mercury dropping to 41.1 degrees, from 42.6 degrees yesterday.

The weathermen forecast a rise in the maximum temperature to 42 degrees Celsius tomorrow and a mainly clear sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours.

Western winds from Gujarat and moisture have led to a dip in temperature in most parts of Madhya Pradesh though the world-renowned tourist destination Khajuraho was the state's hottest at 45 degrees Celsius.

The state capital recorded a high of 39.3 degrees Celsius.

The weatherman said rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, few places in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Lakshadweep and at isolated places in Orissa, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, south, Chattigarh, Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka and Kerala.

Mainly dry weather is likely to prevail over Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, north Chattisgarh, Gujarat state, Konkan, Goa, Marathwada and coastal and north interior Karnataka.

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