Intense heat batters Ladakh to Jharkhand, northwest India

NEW DELHI: From Ladakh to Jharkhand and large parts of northwest India, a huge swathe of the country remained in the grip of an intense heat wave with the maximum temperature in Prayagraj touching 47.6 degrees Celsius while Nubra, nestled in the high Himalayas, recorded 26.2 degrees.

The weather office said maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1 degrees Celsius or more) at most places in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The national capital recorded maximum temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius, which was seven notches higher than normal for the season, in the absence of thunderstorms and rainfall triggered by extra tropical weather systems called western disturbances.

Dehradun in Uttarakhand recorded a maximum temperature of 43.1 degrees Celsius, which was 9.5 notches above normal for the season, while Una in Himachal Pradesh recorded 44 degrees -- 6.7 notches above average.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Katra recorded a maximum temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius, which was 5.7 notches above normal, while the mercury touched a high of 44.3 degrees in Jammu.

Daltonganj in Jharkhand recorded a maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, which was 9.1 notches above normal.

The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches.

A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.

Most of the regions over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh and east Madhya Pradesh experienced warm nights as minimum temperatures were 5.1 notches or more above normal.

The weather office has forecast no change in maximum temperatures over northwest India during the next 24 hours. The temperatures are expected to fall by 2 degrees Celsius thereafter.

However, central and eastern India will continue to reel from high temperatures for the next three days and expect some respite thereafter.

There was no let up in the ongoing heatwave conditions sweeping Punjab and Haryana for the last several days, with Bathinda reeling at 46.9 degrees Celsius.

While blistering heat swept Bathinda in Punjab, Pindara in Haryana's Jind district also recorded a maximum temperature of 46.9 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest place in the state.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.5 degrees Celsius, according to the local Met centre.

Faridkot in Punjab was also under the grip of severe heat at 46 degrees Celsius while Pathankot recorded a high of 45.8 degrees.

The maximum temperature in Amritsar was recorded at 45.8 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana at 44.6 degrees, Patiala at 45.4 degrees, Gurdaspur at 45 degrees and Ferozepur at 44.3 degrees.

In Haryana, intense heat scorched Faridabad and Sirsa, which recorded maximum temperatures of 46.6 degrees Celsius and 46.2 degrees, respectively.

Mahendragarh recorded a high of 45.2 degrees Celsius while Hisar registered 45.7 degrees.

Hot weather conditions also prevailed in Gurugram and Kurukshetra, where the maximum temperatures were recorded at 45.1 degrees Celsius and 44.5 degrees, respectively, the Met office said.

Rohtak sizzled at 46.2 degrees Celsius while Ambala and Karnal registered maximum temperatures of 44.8 degrees Celsius and 43.8 degrees, respectively.

Heatwave conditions intensified in Rajasthan on Monday, with several places recording maximum temperatures one to six notches higher than the previous day.

A spokesperson for the Jaipur Meteorological Centre said Ganganagar was the hottest place in the state with a high of 46.2 degrees Celsius, 4.9 notches above normal.

The maximum temperature in Pilani was 45.9 degrees Celsius, 6.5 notches above normal.

Churu and Karauli recorded highs of 45.4 degrees Celsius each, Dholpur 44.9 degrees, Alwar 44.8 degrees, Bikaner 44.3 degrees, and Bharatpur and Phalodi 44 degrees each.

The mercury crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in several other major cities.

The Met official said the minimum temperature in most places of the state was recorded 2 to 8.1 notches above normal.

The night temperature in major cities was noted between 28.6 and 37 degrees Celsius, he added.

Alwar recorded a low of 37 degrees Celsius, 4.9 notches above normal, while Phalodi registered a minimum temperature of 34.6 degrees, which was 8.1 notches above average.