The people of Dehradun continued to reel under the heat spell with the maximum temperature surging up to above 38.9 degree Celsius on Saturday. The Met department warned that the mercury might shoot up further to 40 degree Celsius on Sunday in the city with no immediate possibility of rain till June 6. However, the heat spell might abate a bit following rains that might lash some areas across the state for two days from June 6. The highest maximum temperature 40.0°C was recorded at Pantnagar while the lowest minimum temperature 14.8°C was recorded at Mukteshwar.
Thin traffic was witnessed on the city roads and the number of buyers at the markets and malls was small like the past few days thanks to the sweltering heat continuing. With the schools being closed for summer vacation, people grappling with the insufferable heat in the plains of the state or the neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, are flocking in their hordes to cooler places like Mussoorie, Sahastradhara, Guchupani and Dhanaulti.
Sumitra Bisht from Cantt area of the city was found at Guchupani along with her family members. “The blistering heat continuing, we came here as the children insisted. They have got some relief from the heat. They are happy,” she said.
Anuradha, resident of Vikaslok, however, said that her family had chosen to remain indoors on Saturday. “We did not have any pressing need to go outside as the schools of my children are closed on summer vacation,” she said.
The Met officials have forecast rains at many places, especially in higher reaches of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts on Sunday while saying that the climate would remain dry in the rest of Uttarakhand on the day. However, the plains might receive rainy succour for two days from June 6.
Meteorological centre director Bikram Singh said that the maximum temperature settled at 38.9ºC (three degree below the normal) while the minimum at 21.4ºC (one degree below the normal) in Dehradun. It was 27.2ºC (three degree below the normal) and 14.8ºC (two degree above the normal) in Mukteshwar and 40.0ºC (three degree above the normal) and 20.0ºC (two degree below the normal) in Pantnagar. In Tehri district, maximum temperature was reported as 28.6 degree Celsius while the minimum was 16.0 degree Celsius on Saturday.