Delhi simmers at record-breaking 45.7 degree Celsius

Vast swathes of the country continued to reel under intense heat, with capital Delhi witnessing its hottest day in a decade for the month of May with a record-breaking 45.7 degrees Celsius.

Delhi's temperature was highest for the month of May since 2003. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius and the maximum and minimum humidity settled at 41 and 18 per cent respectively.

 Sizzling heat maintained its grip over Punjab and Haryana region, where Amritsar witnessed its hottest day in history with a maximum of 48 degrees Celsius. The mercury remained largely above normal in most parts of the region.

Temperature retained an upward trend in Rajasthan also, where Sriganganagar continued to be the hottest place with a maximum of 48.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Churu, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer, which recorded highs of 47.3, 46.5, 45.9 and 44.4 degrees Celsius respectively, Met department said.

Capital Jaipur recorded a maximum of 43.9 degrees, while it was 42.2 degrees Celsius in Ajmer.

Summer woes multiplied for people in Uttar Pradesh owing to unscheduled power cuts, and protests were reported against long electricity outages from various places.

Banda continued to be the hottest place with a maximum of 46.8 degrees. Mercury hovered above normal in most parts of the state, including the Meerut, Jhansi, Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, Bareilly and Moradabad divisions.

People in Gujarat, however, may get some respite from scorching heat in days to come as according to the Met department, the mercury is likely to drop by at least two notches due to westerly winds.