Farmer dies as blistering heat sweeps region

Rishi Pal died while he was working in his fields yesterday at Jhinjhauli village in Sonepat, where maximum temperature settled around 43 deg C, official reports said.

Maximum temperatures in Haryana remained in the range of 41-46 deg C with Hisar recording a high of 46 deg C yesterday, nine degrees above normal.
"The hottest ever day in April in Hisar was on April 27, 1958 when the high had soared to 47.9 deg C," Met Director Surender Paul said today.

Mercury has been soaring for the past few days in neighbouring Punjab also, where maximum temperatures have been settling in the range of 41-44 deg C.
Chandigarh, that recorded 41.6 deg C yesterday, was just a degree less than what was recorded on 21, April, 1981 as the hottest day.

"By Monday-Tuesday, we are expecting some dust storm or thunder storm and later on cloud cover over the region, which should bring down the mercury by a few degrees," Paul said.

"We had very less rainfall in winter months. Dry westerly winds had been blowing in the region this year and we had very few western disturbances, which normally bring the mercury down".