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Heat wave claims 111 lives

The blistering heat wave gripping most of the country has so far claimed 111 lives.

Rajasthan, which accounted for 48 deaths, was the worst hit, while the blazing sun threw normal life out of gear in the northern plains, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Dholpur and Jhalawar towns in Rajasthan remained the hottest places in the country with a maximum temperature of 49 degrees Celsius for the second successive day. Fifteen more casualties were reported from Kota, Jaipur and Jodhpur divisions.

The toll in Jaipur rose to seven with the death of one person in the Pani ka Pech area. An infant and an old man died of sun stroke in Alwar while two people, including a woman died at Deoli in Tonk district.

Three heat wave deaths were reported from Jalore district, two at Siwana in Barmer district and five in Kota division. Bharatpur, Chur, Kota and Sikar recorded 47 degrees Celsius while the mercury hovered around 46 degrees Celsius in Bikaner, Ganganagar Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Tonk.

Delhi ecorded the hottest day in the current summer at 45.6 degrees Celsius, the hottest day in May in the last four years.

In Bihar roads wore a deserted look in many places as people stayed indoors to escape from the scorching heat. One person died of sunstroke at Bhalubasa near Jamshedpur where the maximum temperature was 47 degrees Celsius.

The sizzling heat wave persisted in the southern parts of the country with Vijayawada recording the highest temperature in the region at 45.9 degree Celsius, also the highest in the last two years. The toll in Krishna district rose to eight with one more death today.

Kothagudem in Kammam district had a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius while the 43 degrees Celsius temperature confined people indoors in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

In Tamil Nadu, it was the hottest day at Madras with 41.8 degrees Celsius, while mercury soared to 42.7 degree Celsius at suburban Meenambakkam.

In the northwest plains, Amritsar recorded 46.7 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal. The mercury hovered around two to eight degrees above normal in many parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Patiala had a maximum of 44.7 and Ludhiana 44.4 degrees Celsius.

Hissar in Haryana was the second hottest after Amritsar with 46.6 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal. Rohtak recorded 45.3 followed by Ambala at 42.9 degrees celsius. Chandigarh and its surrounding areas in Haryana and Punjab recorded 44 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal.

In Himachal Pradesh, Nahan was the hottest at 40.5 degrees Celsius. In Srinagar it was 32.4 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal.

Local meteorological offices have predicted no respite in day temperatures with the heat wave conditions likely to prevail for the next two days.

UNI

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