Chandigarh witnessed its hottest day in April in the previous five years with mercury soaring to 40.6 degrees Celsius, seven notches above normal on Sunday.
last year, the maximum temperature recorded in April was 37.8 degrees Celsius and on April 30, 2014, the maximum temperature was as high as 39.2 degrees Celsius. It was 36.8 degrees Celsius in 2013 and 37 degrees Celsius in 2012. In 2011, it was 39.5 degrees Celsius on April 30. The highest temperature recorded so far in April was 43.2 degrees Celsius and it was in the year 2010.
The region also continued to sizzle under heat wave with mercury levels settling above normal levels in parts of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday.
In Haryana, Hisar braved the sweltering heat recording maximum temperature at 41.3 degree Celsius, up by three notches from normal while Ambala recorded a high of 41.5 degree Celsius, six notches above normal.
In Punjab, Patiala and ludhiana settled at respective maximum temperature of 41.5 degrees Celsius and 41.4 degrees. Punjab’s holy city—Amritsar recorded maximum temperature at 36 degrees Celsius.
Chandigarh recorded minimum temperature at 23.7 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. The minimum temperature recorded was 24 degrees in Ambala, 23.5 degrees Celsius in Hissar, 20.2 degrees Celsius in Karnal, 25.2 degrees Celsius in Narnaul, 20.1 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 24 degrees Celsius in ludhiana and 25.2 degree Celsius in Patiala.
According to the Met Department forecast, light rain/thundershowers are likely at a few places during next 12 hours and at isolated places during subsequent 48 hours and weather is likely to be dry thereafter in Punjab and Haryana.
Dust storm /thunderstorm accompanied with squall (with wind speed exceeding 45 kmph) is also likely at isolated places in Haryana and Punjab during next 36 hours, predicted Met Department.
Meanwhile, the hills of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday also saw a rise in mercury, recording temperatures three to seven degrees above the average. But the Met office has forecast rains and thundershowers.
“A fresh western disturbance is likely to be active in the region with chances of rain and thundershowers till Monday,” said an official of the meteorological office.
Meanwhile, the hill state continued to experience hot weather with the day temperature crossing the 39 degrees Celsius mark in some areas.
Una town was the hottest in the state with a high of 39.4 degrees Celsius. Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a maximum temperature of 21.6 degrees Celsius while Dharamsala was hot at 28.6 degrees Celsius.
Shimla recorded the maximum temperature at 27.5 degrees Celsius, seven notches above average. Popular tourist resorts like Narkanda, Kufri, Kasauli, Manali, Palampur, Chamba and Dalhousie also experienced hot weather.