Blistering heat torrefied north India with Palodhi in Rajasthan simmering at 51 degrees and the maximum in Ahmedabad shattering a century-old record.

Palodhi was the hottest place in Rajasthan this season so far and the hottest in the country for the second consecutive day at 51 degrees, closely followed by Churu at 50.2, Bikaner and Barmer at 49.5, Ganganagar at 49.1, Jaisalmer at 49, Kota at 48.2 and Jaipur at 46.5 degrees.

However, a report in the Times of India said that this was the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. The previous high recorded was in 1956, the report said. 

b’A file photo of man walking across the dried-out bed of Lake Ahmad Sar as extreme heat conditions prevail in Ahmedabad | Source: AFP’

Extreme heat broke 100 years old record in Ahmedabad, as the maximum temperature in the city touched 48 degrees.

One person today died due to heat stroke, taking the sunstroke toll to four this summer, officials said. “As per data, the city had recorded 47.8 degrees Celsius on May 27, 1916,” said Jayanta Sarkar, Director of Meteorological Centre of IMD. The intense heat wave scorched the northern states.

b’Children enjoy in the waters at a fountain to beat the heat at India Gate as the mercury rises in New Delhi | Source: PTIxc2xa0′

Delhi reeled under sweltering conditions, recording the maximum at 43 degrees. The minimum the city was 28.6 degrees.

In Uttar Pradesh, stifling conditions prevailed due to prevailing dry weather and intense heat wave. Banda remained the hottest place in the state for the third straight day, recording the maximum at 47.2 degrees, followed by Allahabad at 46.7, Jhansi 46.4 and Orai 46. The district administration of Lucknow, which had a high of 44.4, has directed schools to declare summer vacations.

However, meteorological experts have said that cyclonic storm ‘Roanu’ is likely to bring heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.

In the East, officials said about 4,000 people were rendered homeless due to floods after torrential rains since Tuesday night at Dharmanagar in Tripura, while the arterial Assam-Agartala National Highway remained waterlogged, cutting the state off from the rest of the country.

b’A man covers his face as he walks through a dust storm on the banks of the Ganga river in Allahabad | Source: Reuters’

The eastern and peninsular states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha brace for very heavy rainfall due to cyclonic storm ‘Roanu’, which will intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm”.

Issuing alerts to the three states, the weatherman said although the cyclone will make a landfall in Bangladesh on the intervening night of May 21 and 22, “heavy to very heavy rainfall” is expected in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.

b’Civic workers clear the drainage system after heavy rains in Chennai on Wednesday. With the depression over south-west Bay of Bengal expected to move up further along the eastern coastline, a cyclone alert which had been issued for north Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh in next 48 hours, has bypassed the Indian coastline and moved towards Bangladesh | Source: PTI’

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed over 130 personnel in Andhra Pradesh in order to counter the aftermath of the cyclonic storm. Meanwhile, heavy rains occurred in Avanigadda (123mm), and Guduru (123 mm) and Koduru (102 mm) and Pamarru (112mm) mandals of Krishna district this morning.

(Feature image source: Reuters)