Bathinda, June 20
An intense heat wave in the region has led to the death of three persons here today. The mercury soared to 45°C in the city forcing people to stay indoors. Sahara Janseva Society chief Vijay Goel said a person fell unconscious due to hot weather conditions near an overhead water tank. Society volunteers rushed him to the Civil Hospital where he breathed his last.
Another unidentified man was found lying near the MC office. He died on his way to hospital. Similarly, a man, who was suffering from high fever, died near Railway Road. The society volunteers consigned all three victims to flames, as they had no kith and kin.
Meanwhile, a cyclist fell on Power House Road. He was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors said it was the effect of heat wave. Many cases of diarrhoea were also being reported to them. Mostly, elderly were falling sick in summers.
Dr Sompal Singh, a meteorologist at the regional centre of PAU, said in the last one week the temperature of Bathinda had ranged between 43°C and 44°C, but today it touched 45°C. In 2004, the maximum temperature in June was 44°C. Last year the temperature on June 20 was 39°C and it also rained during this period. He said the weather would remain dry in the coming days. “Chhabeels” were put on various points in the city.
Civil Surgeon, H.S. Dhillon said they were carrying out a special check on vegetables. He said the department was also keeping an eye on quality of fruits being sold on “rehris”.
SHIMLA:
Shimla recorded
the highest temperature of the season today. With a delay in the onset of pre-monsoon showers, temperatures hovered above 40 degree Celsius in the lower reaches of Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla sizzled at 30.5 degree Celsius, the highest for the season, which is two to three degrees above normal during this period of the year.
According to the Director, Meteorological Department, Mr Manmohan Singh, the capital recorded a maximum of 31.4 degree Celsius in June 1995.
He said Shimla recorded 29.5 degree Celsius on June 5, which was highest for the season then.
Tourist arrival to the state has increased over the past few days with heat wave conditions prevailing in various parts of the country.
Temperatures in the districts of Una, Kangra, Bilaspur and Hamirpur were above 40 degree Celsius, deepening the drinking water crises in the region.
Bhuntar in Kullu district recorded a high of 37.5 degree Celsius with a low of 16.4 degree, while the maximum temperature at Sundernager in Mandi district was 41.5 degree Celsius.
SOLAN: The town and its surrounding areas recorded a record 39 degree Celsius, the hottest day in the past fifteen years.
Today’s temperature surpassed the earlier high of 37.5 degree Celsius which was recorded on June 11 this year.
The temperatures recorded by the Metrological Department of the Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, indicated that the month of June this year has been recording abnormally high temperatures.
CHANDIGARH: Heat wave today further intensified in Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh recorded the highest temperature of the current season with a maximum of 44.5°C.
Chandigarh’s temperature, which was hovering around 42°C, jumped to 44.5°C today, which was five degrees above normal, MET office said here.
The maximum temperature was around five degrees above normal in most parts of Punjab and Haryana forcing people to remain indoors.
The blistering heat adversely affected the water and electricity supply in the region as undeclared power cuts added to the woes of the people.
Amritsar with 45.1°C was the hottest place in Punjab followed by 45°C in Ludhiana and 44.6°C in Patiala.
The MET office predicted thunderstorm and duststorm with light showers at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana during the next 48 hours.
