By IANS,
New Delhi : People in the northwest and Rajasthan heaved a sigh of relief from the scorching heat for the second consecutive day Tuesday as thundershowers accompanied with squalls kept the temperatures down in most places across the northern plains.
For the people in the National Capital Region, it was another day of grey skies. Since the weather office had forecast windy and dusty day, many appeared well prepared to meet the situation. Pedestrians walked around with heads and mouths covered, while those on two-wheelers and in auto-rickshaws appeared struggling against sudden gusts of dust-laden winds.
The maximum temperature in Delhi was 36.8 degrees Celsius Tuesday, about three degrees below what is normal for this time of the season, while the minimum temperature was just 24.8 degrees Celsius.
According to the Met Department, the Capital received 1.0 mm rain Monday that helped keep the mercury down and bring some relief from the blistering heat until Sunday. The daytime temperatures were hovering around 42-44 degrees Celsius in the north-central region before the light showers cooled the air somewhat.
The Met Department has forecast that isolated rain/thundershowers along with squall are likely over parts of northwest India and Rajasthan during next 24 hours. Isolated rain/thundershowers also likely over east India during next 48 hours.
Under the current scenario, maximum temperatures are likely to rise over northwest India till Thursday. However, heat wave conditions are not likely to develop, the Met Department added.
Another feeble western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India and adjoining central India from May 8 onwards, the weatherman forecast.
In Orissa, where at least 19 people have been reported to have lost their lives because of intense heat wave conditions, the rains came as a major respite. The state capital Bhubaneswar received 8 mm rain Monday, bringing the temperatures down to 37.7 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, the highest maximum temperature of 44.6°C in the country was recorded at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
The following were the maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall in major cities for the 24 hours till Tuesday morning, with figures in brackets denoting deviations from the average. City Maximum Temperature (C) Minimum Temperature (C) Rainfall (mm)
New Delhi 36.8 (-3) 24.8 (0) 1.0
Mumbai 33 (0) 27.2 (+1) Nil
Chennai 41.4 (+5) 28.1 (+1) Nil
Kolkata 36.4 (0) 25.2 (-1) Nil
Ahmedabad 40.0 (-1) 28.4 (+2) Nil
Bangalore 35.4 (+2) 20.8 (0) Nil
Bhopal 41.2 (+0) 25.7 (+1) Nil
Bhubaneswar 38.3 (0) 28.7 (+3) Nil
Chandigarh 36.2 (-1) 15.8 (-6) 19.0
Dehradun 33.6 (-1) 19.3 (-1) 1.2
Goa 37.7 (+1) 25 (-2) Nil
Guwahati 34.4 (+3) 23.3 (+1) TRACE
Hyderabad 39.8 (+1) 26 (0) Nil
Jaipur 41.8 (+2) 24.6 (0) Nil
Lucknow 34.4 (-5) 23.5 (-1) Nil
Nagpur 43 (0) 28 (+1) NIL
Patna 36.7 (-2) 22.2 (-3) 4.4
Pune 36.1 (-1) 27.7 (0) Nil
Srinagar 20 (-2) 7.3 (-3) 1.3
Thiruvananthapuram 33.3 (+1) 25.7 (+1) 1.1