Several parts of the country continued to reel under severe heat wave conditions with major cities including the national capital today registering temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
In Delhi, the mercury settled at 40.6 degrees Celsius, four notches above the normal. The humidity level in the air oscillated between 22 per cent and 65 per cent.
Odisha and West Bengal too faced scorching weather as temperatures hovered around 45 degree Celsius in most parts.
With the IMD predicting severe heatwave conditions for at least three days from Thursday, the Odisha government today extended school holidays till April 26 and decided to continue mid-day-meal scheme in drought-affected areas even during the summer vacation.
The mercury also soared in several cities in Uttar Pradesh with Lucknow posting 42.6 degrees Celsius and Allahabad scorching at 45.2 degrees Celsius.
Among other cities in Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi reeled under 43.4 degrees Celsius, Sultanpur at 44 degrees Celsius and Kanpur 42.4 degrees Celsius.
In southern India, Adilabad, Anamakonda and Nizmabad in Telangana scorched under 43 degrees Celsius though the weatherman has predicted light to moderate shower for the next two days.
Hisar in Haryana was the hottest place in the plains at 40.5 degrees Celsius as maximum temperatures hovered above normal limits at most places in the state.
In neighboring Punjab, barring Amritsar which recorded a high of 33.2 degrees Celsius, down two notches, most other places experienced hot weather conditions.
Residents of capital city Chandigarh also experienced the harsh weather at 39.1 degrees Celsius, up five notches than normal limits.
Ludhiana recorded a high of 39.1 degrees Celsius, up three notches, Patiala, too, had a hot day at 38.7 degrees Celsius, three degrees more than normal limits.
The MeT Department has forecast light rains or thundershowers at isolated places in Haryana and Punjab until tomorrow.
In Rajasthan, Kota was recorded as the hottest place in the state recording a maximum of 41.5 degree Celsius followed by Churu which registered 41.3 degrees Celsius.
Light to moderate rainfall was recorded in Uttar Pradesh
today while southwest monsoon remained normal in the state.
Heavy to very heavy rain has been forecast at a few places with extremely heavy rain at isolated places very likely over west Madhya Pradesh.
Heavy rain at a few places with very heavy rain at isolated places is very likely over east Rajasthan while heavy rain at isolated places is very likely over Gujarat region, the MeT said.
Light rains occurred in some parts of Himachal Pradesh as monsoonremained subdued and there was no significant change in minimum and maximumtemperatures.
The monsoon deficit ranged between 24 per cent and 79 per cent in four districts of Sirmaur, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti while Shimla, Solan and Kullu received 15 per cent, 9 per cent and 8 per cent excess rains.
The local MeT office has predicted rains or thundershowers across the state for next te days.
The Met department today forecast light to moderate rain in West Bengal for the next two days as different parts of the state received scant rainfall during the day.
There was no significant rain anywhere in the state since yesterday morning, the Met department said.
Krishnagar in Nadia district recorded the highest day temperature in the state at 36.4 degree celsius.
