Heat intensifies across several states, Banda in UP scorches at 48 deg C

Large parts of the country were in the grip of punishing heat, as Banda in Uttar Pradesh scorched at 48.2 degrees Celsius and authorities in Indore said on Tuesday that a four-year-old girl has died of suspected suffocation after getting trapped inside a car in scorching heat.

Soaring temperatures in Punjab made life difficult for people in Faridkot which sizzled at a day-temperature of 47.3 degrees, while most cities in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra also reeled under intense heat wave conditions, with Amravati recording a high of 46.8 degrees.

It was a a heatwave day in Delhi as temperatures in the city breached the 45 degrees-mark during the day.

In Madhya Pradesh's Indore, a four-year-old girl got trapped inside a car for several hours and was later found unconscious. Doctors declared her dead at the hospital. Authorities said she is suspected to have died of suffocation but the exact cause of death would be ascertained after a post-mortem.

In Uttar Pradesh, Banda emerged as the hottest place in the state at 48.2 degrees Celsius, while temperatures crossed the 40 degrees Celsius mark in 22 of the state's 75 districts, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Among the hottest places in the state were Jhansi and Agra, which recorded a maximum temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Prayagraj at 45.8 degrees Celsius. In Lucknow, the maximum temperature settled at 40.9 degrees Celsius.

The weather office said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were very likely at many places in southern UP and at a few places in the remaining parts of the state. It also warned of warm night conditions at isolated places in western UP.

The health department is on alert following the IMD warning of severe heat and heatwave conditions over the next few days.

The ongoing heat wave sweeping Punjab and Haryana further intensified, with Faridkot recording a high of of 47.3 degrees and Rohtak registering 46.9 degrees Celsius, the meteorological office said.

At several other places in the two northern states, maximum temperatures hovered close to the 45-degree Celsius mark.

The maximum temperature further rose in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recording 43.2 degrees Celsius, over four notches above normal limits.

In Haryana, Narnaul braved a hot day at 45 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal while sizzled at 46.4 degrees Celsius.

In Delhi, an unforgiving spell of heat gripped the national capital as Delhi recorded a heatwave day with dry winds and relentless sunshine pushing temperatures past the 45 degrees Celsius mark across the city, prompting the weather office to issue an orange alert for heatwave to severe heatwave conditions over the coming days.

According to the IMD, Safdarjung, the city's base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius, 4.7 notches above normal and 1.7 degrees higher than the previous day, while Ridge emerged as the hottest station in the city at 46.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal with a 24-hour rise of 1.9 degrees.

According to the IMD, a heatwave is observed when the maximum temperature crosses 40 degrees Celsius and remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal.

The weather office has issued an orange alert till May 25, warning of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in many parts of the city. For Wednesday, the IMD has forecast a minimum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 44 degrees Celsius with an orange alert, which means ''be prepared''.

Tuesday also marked the fourth heatwave day recorded in Delhi this year. Heatwave conditions were earlier recorded on April 23, 24 and 25, an IMD official said. The city also witnessed its hottest May day since 2024.

''Heatwave conditions are expected to continue for the next one week. The northwesterly winds are sweeping into the national capital from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan and parts of central Pakistan since the past few days,'' said Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather.

Palawat further said that night temperatures have remained high over the past few days due to intense daytime heating.

''The ground does not get sufficient time to release the accumulated heat, leading to persistently warm nights. There is no forecast of thunderstorms or pre-monsoon rainfall activity over the next 10 days, which is further worsening the situation,'' he said.

He added that the prevailing conditions are likely to persist over the coming days, pushing several parts of Delhi-NCR into heatwave conditions.

Most cities in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra are in the grip of heat wave conditions, with daytime temperature rising above 43 degrees Celsius, and the mercury hitting a staggering 46.8 degrees Celsius in Amravati and 46.5 in Wardha on Tuesday.

The prevailing scorching temperatures in the region are unlikely to go down for the next few days and the IMD issued an orange alert of severe heat wave conditions in several districts.

Talking to PTI, scientist at IMD's Nagpur centre Dr Praveen Kumar, said, ''Heat wave conditions this year have been prevailing in many parts of Vidarbha, including Nagpur, over the last seven to eight days. There is no chance of getting any respite from the heat in the coming few days in most part of Vidarbha, including Nagpur, Wardha, Akola, Amravati and Yavatmal.''.

''Earlier, heat wave conditions used to be of short spells and people used to get relief after a few days. However, temperatures this year continue to be in the range of 45 degrees to 46 degrees Celsius, which is very concerning. The weather department has issued an orange alert,'' he said.

In Himachal Pradesh, a yellow warning of a heatwave has been issued in Kangra and Solan for Wednesday by the meteorological office in Shimla on Tuesday.

It also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (speed 40-50 kmph) at isolated places in Chamba, Kangra and Kullu for Thursday and Friday, and Mandi and Shimla for Friday, they said.

The weather remained mainly dry in the state in the past 24 hours since Monday evening, except for Bhuntar, which received 19 mm of rain and Manali, which received traces of rain, they added.

Kukumseri, recording a low of 6.1 degrees Celsius, was the coldest at night, and Una, with 43.4 degrees Celsius, was the hottest during the day. A yellow alert of a heat wave in Solan for Wednesday and Thursday has been issued, they said.

Mercury also breached the 40-degree mark in Neri, which recorded a temperature of 41.2 degrees Celsius.

Chittorgarh was recorded as the hottest place in Rajasthan, recording a maximum of 46.3 degree Celsius on Tuesday, followed by Srigangangar where the day temperature was 45.9 degrees.

Meanwhile in West Bengal, thunderstorms are likely in parts of the state over the next one week.

In view of favourable wind patterns and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, thunderstorms are likely in north Bengal and some southern districts, it said.

The sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are likely to receive heavy rainfall from May 22 to 24, it added.

Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds with speeds reaching around 50 kmph are likely in some south Bengal districts on Tuesday and Wednesday, the IMD said.

In some areas of Kolkata, thunderstorms with light rain are likely in the evening.

India's peak power demand surged to an all-time high of 260.45 GW on Tuesday, mainly due to increased usage of cooling devices such as air-conditioners and desert coolers amid intensifying heat wave conditions, according to the power ministry.

Delhi's peak power demand also rose to this summer season's highest at 7,776 MW.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)