No respite was experienced on Sunday from the blistering heat wave sweeping Haryana and Punjab as Karnal sizzled at 44.5 degrees Celsius. Karnal in Haryana recorded the season’s hottest day which was six notches above normal level, according to the local Met Department.
The residents of Chandigarh also braved another hot day with the mercury touching 42 degrees, up by four notches from normal. In Punjab, ludhiana braved the hot conditions at 43 degrees, up by four degrees, while Patiala’s maximum settled at 42.9 degrees, also four notches above the normal level. Punjab’s holy city Amritsar sizzled at maximum temperature of 41.8 degree Celsius, three notches above normal.
Among other places, Ambala saw maximum temperature of 42.6 degree Celsius, Hissar settled at a maximum of 44 degree Celsius and Narnaul recorded 41 degree Celsius.
A Met official said that temperature levels were recorded upto six degrees above normal across the region.
The minimum temperature recorded was 27.1 degrees in Ambala, 27.6 degree Celsius in Bhiwani, 28.5 degree Celsius in Hissar, 25 degree Celsius in Karnal, 24.5 degree Celsius in Narnual, 24.4 degree Celsius in Amritsar, 26.4 degree Celsius in ludhiana and 27.4 degree Celsius in Patiala.
The Met Department has forecast light rain at isolated places in Haryana and Punjab during next 48 hours. Duststorm/thunderstorm accompanied with squall with wind speed exceeding 45 kmph may also occur at few places in both states in next 24 hours, said a Met official.
Meanwhile, the hills of Himachal Pradesh continued to sizzle on Sunday with Una recording a maximum temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius and state capital Shimla a high of 29.2 degrees Celsius.
“Most of the towns recorded a maximum temperature of three to seven notches above the average, mainly due to lack of rains,” said a Met official. He said Shimla's maximum temperature was seven notches above the average.
However, some of the areas, including Shimla, saw mild rains. Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded a high of 37.9 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature in Bhuntar in Kullu district was 35 degrees Celsius, Dharamsala in Kangra district was 32.8 degrees Celsius and Kalpa in Kinnaur district was 24 degrees Celsius.
The Met department said the weather would largely remain dry in the next few days in Himachal.