The highest fatalities have been recorded in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where it has breached the 300 mark. In Delhi — which registered a record high of 44.5 <g data-gr-id="43">degrees Celsius</g> this season — Mercury on Sunday hovered around 43 degrees. Mercury touched 47 <g data-gr-id="41">degree</g> in Nagpur and the temperature soared to 47.5 in Wardha.
Meteorological office director BK Yadav said some respite can be expected in the two southern states within 48 hours. But in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, the heat wave will persist for a few more days. “In Delhi particularly, no relief can be expected in the next four days. The heat wave will continue,” he said.
“The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover between 45 and 29 degrees, respectively,” a forecast said. The death toll in Telangana so far stands at 188, said BR Meena, State Commissioner, disaster management. Unofficial figures put Sunday’s toll at 40. Over 100 people died in Andhra Pradesh -—17 deaths reportedly took place on Sunday. Uttar Pradesh saw the mercury breach the <g data-gr-id="54">41 degree</g> mark in most districts. On Saturday, Allahabad recorded the highest maximum in the state at a sizzling 47 degrees. The heat wave also intensified in Odisha as the Mercury inched above the 40-degree mark at 19 places.
Two deaths were reported from West Bengal on Sunday as the state reeled under heat wave. Mercury crossed 40 degrees in several areas of the state. People in Rajasthan sweated it out with mercury in Jaisalmer touching the 46.5 <g data-gr-id="53">degree</g> Celsius mark. Kota recorded maximum at 45.4 degrees Celsius followed by Churu at 45.2, Sriganganagar and Jaipur at 45.1 degrees each. <g data-gr-id="51">Intense</g> heat wave also swept Punjab and Haryana with mercury soaring sharply above <g data-gr-id="52">normal</g> level at several places in both the states.
Hissar remained the hottest place in Haryana at a scorching 45.5 <g data-gr-id="37">degrees ,</g> four degrees above normal. In Punjab, Amritsar’s maximum settled at 43.2 degrees while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their maximum at 42.7 degrees Celsius each, four notches above normal. Chandigarh, joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, had a high temperature of 41.7 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal.
For the second day in succession, Nagpur city on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 47 <g data-gr-id="50">degree</g> Celsius as the heat wave in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra continued. The neighbouring Wardha district was the hottest in the region at 47.5 <g data-gr-id="49"><g data-gr-id="48">degree</g></g> Celsius, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre. All the major stations in Himachal Pradesh experienced hottest day of the season on Sunday as <g data-gr-id="47">mercury</g> soared across the state. Una reeled under the scorching sun as mercury touched 43.6 degrees Celsius while the hill station of Shimla recorded a high of 28.6 <g data-gr-id="46">degrees</g> Celsius.