North India continues to burn; light rains in UP, Delhi

Heat wave continued unabated in north India even as parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi got mild showers on Saturday.

Delhi continued to remain in the grip of the heat wave with the maximum temperature settling at 44.2 degree Celsius even though some parts of the national capital received light rains.

The minimum in Delhi was recorded at 33.2 deg C.

Uttar Pradesh bore the brunt of scorching sun with Allahabad recording a maximum of 47.7 degree Celsius.

The heat claimed life of a 38-year-old man in Muzafarnagar.

However, people in parts of eastern UP heaved a sigh of relief due to light showers in the region.

The temperatures were above normal in Varanasi, Faizabad, Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, Agra, Meerut and Kanpur division.

Rajasthan also continued to reel under intense heat wave conditions with Sriganganagar being the hottest place at 47 deg C.

Churu, Bikaner, Kota and Jaipur recorded maximum of 45.3, 43, 42.4 and 42 degree Celsius respectively while other places recorded day temperatures between 38.5 deg C to 41 deg C, according to the Met department.

Blistering heat wave continued to sweep northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

Chandigarh braved a hot day with maximum settling at 44 deg C, up by four notches, the MeT said.

Amritsar recorded 45.5 deg C, an increase of four degrees. Patiala and Ludhiana recorded near similar maximums at 45.1 deg C and 45 deg C respectively.

In Haryana, Hisar and Rohtak recorded identical highs of 45 deg C while Karnal's high settled at 44 deg C, up four degrees.

Sweltering heat prevailed in Ambala, which recorded a high of 43.9 deg C while Narnaul sizzled at 44.6 deg C.

Himachal Pradesh's lower hills also sizzled due to the heat wave, however, mid hill regions received light showers.

Una in lower hills was hottest with a high of 44 deg C, six degree above normal, while state capital Shimla recorded maximum at 30.1 deg C, six degree above normal.

The maximum temperature dropped by one to two degrees in mid hills to stay at 39.2 deg C in Sunder Nagar and Nahan, followed by Dharamsala 36,8 deg C, Bhunter 32.0 deg C and Kalpa 25.2 deg C.

The minimum temperature also remained above normal across the state with state capital Shimla recording a low of 22.1 deg C, seven degree above normal while Nahan and Dharamsala recorded minimum temperatures at 28 deg C and 26.7 deg C, six degrees above normal.

Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district was coldest in the region with a low of 6.9 deg C while Kapla and Manali were pleasant with minimum temperatures at 10.0 deg C and 11.6 deg C respectively.

The Met office in Himachal has predicted thunderstorms at isolated places in mid and higher hills during next 24 hours.