Heat wave grips several states; Maharashtra's Bhira hottest at 46.5 degrees

In UP, maximum temperature crossed 40 degree Celsius in Varanasi, Allahabad, Hamirpur and Agra

Village Bhira in Raigadh district of Maharashtra recorded an unusually high 46.5 degrees Celsius as several parts of the country reeled under sweltering heat on Wednesday.

Akola, also in Maharashtra, recorded 44.1 degree Celsius, Barmer in Rajasthan recorded a high of 43.4 degrees Celsius while Narnaul in Haryana sizzled at 42 degrees Celsius, nine degrees above normal.

Ludhiana in Punjab recorded seven degrees above normal 36.7 degrees.

In Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature crossed 40 degree Celsius in Varanasi, Allahabad, Hamirpur and Agra.

It was a hot day in Delhi with the mercury settling six notches above normal at 38.2 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Dehradun, as well as Srinagar, was recorded much above the normal for this part of the year.

There were predictions of a "mild heat wave" in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing crossing 40-degree Celsius mark regularly in the last few days.

At Bhira in Raigadh, the temperature mapping centre recorded a high of 46.5 degrees Celsius for the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Wednesday, but IMD officials said they would like to verify the findings.

"When the temperature (at Bhira) was reported to be 46.5 degree Celsius, we realised that something is wrong as no other place nearby recorded so high a temperature," S G Kamble, divisional in charge of Regional Meteorological Department, Colaba in Mumbai, said.

"Bhira village is located in the Sahyadri mountains and is close to a dam. The mountains are covered with forest. The height of the mountains around Bhira would be minimum 2,000 feet. In such a situation, if the mapping centre shows 46.5 degree, it should be doubted," he said.

Those doing the temperature mapping at Bhira are not the employees of IMD but trained by it, he said. A team of IMD officials will now verify the findings.

With Bhira doubtful, an IMD official said that Akola was, according to them, the hottest place in the country on Wednesday. Wardha, Nagpur and Chandrapur recorded 43 degree Celsius.

Unlike Bhira, there were no doubts in Uttar Pradesh where heat-wave like conditions prevailed over most parts with the mercury crossing 40 degree Celsius in Varanasi, Allahabad, Hamirpur and Agra.

The Met office said Varanasi and Agra were the hottest places in the state with a recording of 41.4 degrees, followed by Hamirpur at 41.2 deg C. It predicted hot weather conditions in various parts of the state in the next 24 hours.

Furthermore, heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at many places over West Madhya Pradesh, few places over East Madhya Pradesh and at isolated places over Chhattisgarh.