Agonising Heat Wave Shatters Past Records, Mercury In Four UP Cities Breaches 48 Degrees Celsius

Lucknow, May 29 (TNA) On Tuesday, most parts of Uttar Pradesh experienced an agonizing, record-breaking heat wave. Jhansi's temperature reached 49 degrees Celsius while mercury in four cities of the state touched 48 degrees Celsius. Incidentally, the day was also the hottest May so far in history.

The day temperature in Agra was 48.6 degrees and Varanasi's mercury was 47.6 degrees. According to Atul Kumar Singh, senior meteorologist of the Regional Meteorological Center, these three cities have never been so hot in the month of May before this. Jhansi has never been so hot in the summer season. At the same time, the day temperature in Hamirpur equalled that of May 2005 and the maximum temperature recorded here was 48.2 degrees Celsius.

The weather record of Jhansi has been available since 1892. The weather record of Agra is available since 1884 i.e. 140 years, while the record of Varanasi is available since 1977 i.e. 47 years. These three cities hence have logged their worst heat wave ever.

Met officials point out that anti-cyclone is active in the upper troposphere as a result of which extreme heatwave conditions can be felt in Rajasthan and Pakistan and the effect of hot air from there is heating northern parts of India, especially Uttar Pradesh.

A warning has been issued for a severe heat wave in Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Auraiya, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur and surrounding areas. Orange alert has been issued for Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Aligarh, Hathras, Etah, Mainpuri and surrounding areas. Heat wave may also occur in Pratapgarh, Chandauli, Farrukhabad, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Kasganj and surrounding areas.

Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Unnao, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Kasganj, Etah, Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Badaun, Jalaun and surrounding areas are also in for a long spell of heat wave.

According to the meteorologist, similar conditions are expected on Wednesday. The effect of westerly winds will reduce due to the increasing effect of easterly winds from Thursday. The movement of clouds will start. Rain may start around the Terai areas, Gorakhpur, Basti, Devipatan etc. divisions. This will provide some relief. The state is expected to get relief from the heat wave on June 1.