The people of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday reeled under sweltering heat conditions as mercury crossed the 40 degrees mark at most places in the States. The union Territory of Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees Celsius, up by a degree above normal and a minimum temperature of 23.1 degrees Celsius. Mercury in Punjab’s Amritsar city touched 40.4 degrees Celsius, a degree above normal.
While in ludhiana and Patiala maximum temperatures settled at 40.5 degrees Celsius and 40.8 degrees Celsius respectively, rising by three degrees above normal. In Haryana, Hisar recorded maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal. Ambala recorded maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal while Narnaul recorded 41 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal. Other districts, including Bhiwani, recorded a high of 41.6 degrees Celsius and Karnal settled at 40.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature recorded was 25.3 degrees in Ambala, 23.4 degrees Celsius in Bhiwani, 21.6 degrees Celsius in Hisar, 21 degrees Celsius in Karnal, 22.5 degrees Celsius in Narnaul, 21 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 23.6 degrees Celsius in ludhiana and 25 degrees Celsius in Patiala. The temperature levels also increased in some parts of neighboring State of Himachal Pradesh. The capital city Shimla recorded a maximum temperature of 26.9 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal and minimum of 14.4 degrees Celsius. Una recorded a maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius followed by Sunder Nagar at 34.8 degrees Celsius and Kangra at 33.8 degrees Celsius.