Rain, thunderstorm may cool down heated India
LUCKNOW/HYDERABAD/RANCHI/
HISAR/JAIPUR/SHIMLA: The country sizzled on Monday as most places recorded temperatures 5 degrees above normal. Uttar Pradesh was the hottest, with Banda recording 47.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Telangana at 46.7 degrees Celsius.
The meteorological department said temperatures in most places in India was 5.1 degrees Celsius above normal, but also forecast some respite from the intense heat wave in the coming days with rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in some parts of the country.
However, intense heat wave will continue in most parts of Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh, the IMD added.
The death toll due to heat wave this season has already touched 178 in Telangana, with more deaths being reported in the last 24 hours from Nalgonda district. Four deaths have also been reported from Jharkhand.
Daltonganj district recorded the highest temperature of 45 degrees Celsius in Jharkhand. Ranchi sweated at 41.5 degrees Celsius, while Jamshedpur simmered at 44.6 degrees Celsius. “The heat wave condition may prevail for the next 24 hours in many places in Jharkhand,” meteorologist Upendra Srivastava said, adding rainfall is expected on Wednesday.
Hisar in Haryana scorched on Monday, with mercury touching almost 44 degrees Celsius. Talking to HT, Dr Raj Singh, HOD, agriculture and meteorological department, said: “The temperatures recorded in Hisar district in the first week of May last year were between 37 degrees and 40 degrees Celsius.” He added, “However, we have also recorded western disturbance in the atmosphere and by May 5, some places in Haryana will get rainfall.”
However, there was respite in Rajasthan as the mercury dipped after a dust storm followed by mild rainfall on Monday afternoon.
According to Met department data, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Jaipur were 43.1 and 29.6 degrees Celsius. A departure of five degrees from normal was observed after the dust storm.
Even as the Met department predicted rains in the next 24 to 48 hours, Monday was the season’s hottest in Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla too recorded the season’s highest temperature at 29.8 degrees Celcius while maximum temperature in Himachal was recorded at Una at 43 degrees Celsius.