Heat wave bakes North, Delhi reels at 45 degrees Celcius

Blistering heat scorched North India today as mercury soared to 45 degrees Celsius in the national capital and further in several other cities of the region with Allahabad sizzling at a high of 47.2 degrees.

It was the hottest day of this season in Delhi as people scorched under an intense heat wave with the mercury expected to go up further tomorrow.

The mercury touched the 45 degrees mark at Safdarjung observatory, considered to be the official reading for the city, a day after maximum temperature was recorded at 44.7 degree Celsius, which was the highest of this season till yesterday.

The relentless heatwave swept across Uttar Pradesh also as temperatures were markedly above normal in Faizabad, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Agra and Meerut divisions.

In Rajasthan too, there was no let up from searing heat even as the mercury in Jaipur, which yesterday experienced the hottest day in 33 years, dropped by 0.4 notches and settled at 45.9 degree C.

Churu was hottest in the state at 48.6 degree C while mercury further soared in other western districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner by one to two degrees.

In other areas of the state, the maximum temperature was recorded between 44.4 and 46.4 degrees. Punjab and Haryana also reeled under heat wave conditions with mercury soaring several notches above normal in both the states.

Hisar continued to be the hottest place as it sizzled at 46.5 deg C, up by five notches above normal. Among other places in Haryana, Ambala had a high of 44.9 deg C, up by five degrees above normal while Bhiwani and Narnaul recorded maximum at 45.6 deg C and 44 deg C.

In Punjab, the mercury in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala settled at 45.5 deg C, 45.6 deg C and 45.5 deg C respectively, rising by 4 notches above normal.

Union Territory Chandigarh sizzled at 44.4 deg C, up by five degrees above normal.