Heat wave continues, Sriganganagar in Raj records 45.7 degrees

Several parts of the country continued to reel under hot weather conditions today, with Sriganganagar in Rajasthan recording a maximum of 45.7 degree Celsius, even as overnight incidents of lightning claimed seven lives in West Bengal.
Kota was the second hottest place in Rajasthan with a maximum temperature of 45.2 degree Celsius. Bikaner and Churu sizzled at 44.8 whereas Barmer, while Jaisalmer and Jodhpur recorded a maximum of 44.5, 44 and 43.2 degree Celsius respectively in the state, according to Met department.
The national capital also sizzled under the torrid sun as the mercury soared to settle at 43 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average.

At least seven people, including two from the same family were killed and 12 others injured in overnight incidents of lightning during thundersqualls in Malda district of West Bengal, officials said.
While the squall brought the mercury down in north Bengal, south Bengal continued to sizzle in the sweltering heat with no nor'wester for the past several days.
Bankura in western part of the state recorded the highest day temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius.

Rain and thundershowers occurred at isolated places in eastern and western region of Uttar Pradesh, while Sikar and Churu in Rajasthan also received light rainfall.
The highest temperature in UP was recorded in Banda at 44.4 degree Celsius, MeT said, adding that weather was likely to remain dry over the northern state.

In Punjab and Haryana, the maximum temperatures soared several notches above normal with Hisar recording the maximum temperature of 44.3 deg C, the hottest place in both the states.
Union Territory Chandigarh recorded a high of 39.8 degree Celsius, one degree above normal.
Meanwhile, in some good news, private forecasting agency Skymet said that monsoon will hit Kerala between May 28 and 30, two-three days before its normal onset date of June 1.
The maximum temperatures rose marginally since yesterday
at most places in Punjab and Haryana even as Chandigarh, their joint capital, received light showers this evening.
Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

Amritsar in Punjab recorded a high of 35.5 degrees Celsius, up two notches against normal, while the maximum at Ludhiana and Patiala settled at a little over 34 degrees Celsius.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 34 degrees Celsius, up one notch, while Hisar's maximum settled at 37.5 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal.
The southwest monsoon has been vigorous over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and active over Nagaland-Manipur- Mizoram-Tripura, Uttarakhand and Vidarbha. It has been subdued over Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat state, central Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
According to IMD, the southwest monsoon could start withdrawing in the next 3-4 days even as the overall rainfall deficiency increased to five per cent.