Heat singes north India

NEW DELHI: Be warned if you are travelling up north as mercury shot up to a record high at many places in the region on Sunday, leaving 74 dead in the course of two days.

But the good news for the city, which experienced 34 degrees Celsius against 32 degrees — the normal temperature for June first week — is that the weatherman predicts no heat wave.

Though the temperature is likely to remain three degrees above normal, this rise cannot be attributed to the heat wave, they said. The humidity level is likely to be in the range of 69 to 75 per cent.

But Mumbaikars will have to wait for another week before the monsoons grace the city. Super Cyclone Gonu that rocked the

Oman coastline last week has delayed the rains, said meteorological department officials. “Due to the super cyclone, moisture in the atmosphere got absorbed, delaying the arrival of monsoons,” said Swati Devi, director of the India Meteorological Department, Mumbai.

“North India is known to experience hot weather in May and June. There are no chances of the heat wave coming to the city,” she said.  But back in Delhi, the heat has become unbearable with the day temperature hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, which is six  degrees above normal.

There is little respite in sight for the capital as the weatherman has predicted a hot Monday. “The heat wave in Delhi is expected to continue for at least one more day,” said the Met department. The worst hit this summer are the prisoners of Tihar Jail.

"Three people have died till now. We are providing the inmates with lemon drink," said a senior Tihar Jail officer.

Five heat-related deaths were reported in Uttar Pradesh where extreme heat conditions coupled with prolonged power cuts, especially in the rural areas, have made life miserable for the people.

While two persons died in Fatehgarh, one death each was reported from Basti, Banda and Lalitpur. Cases of diarrhoea are also on the rise in the state, government officials said. Capital Lucknow recorded a maximum temperature of 38.4 degrees.

Madhya Pradesh continued to reel under the oppressive heat with capital Bhopal recording 43 degrees Celsius. A high of 44.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Gwalior, followed by Rewa at 44.5, Satna at 43.8 and Jabalpur blazing at 42.5.

The heat wave continued in Punjab and Haryana, where day temperatures remained six degrees above normal, even as one more person died in Moga district on Sunday. Amritsar was the hottest place in the region with 46 degrees Celsius.