The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Pre-monsoon showers bring respite in some areas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 24, 2005

Other States

Other States - Punjab

Pre-monsoon showers bring respite in some areas

Punjab and Haryana continue to wilt under scorching heat wave

CHANDIGARH: Pre-monsoon showers eased heat conditions in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Himachal, but there was no respite for Punjab and Haryana where two ITBP jawans succumbed to heat taking the country-wide death count to 321. Two soldiers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force died due to ``excessive fluid loss'' and at least five more were admitted to the PGI in Chandigarh after they suffered heat stroke exhaustion during a morning exercise at a Training Centre in Panchkula in Haryana. ``The condition they suffered from happens when one is subjected to strenuous exercise... The condition of three had improved, but two were still in supportive care and they were still not out of danger,'' Dr Subhash Verma, head of Medicine Department, PGI, told reporters here.

Twelve heat-related deaths were reported from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh overnight raising the region-wise toll to 30. However, heat conditions eased in Delhi, where a thunder squall last evening brought down the temperature by three degrees. At 41.3 degrees Celsius, it was still two degrees above normal. Seven persons have so far died in Delhi due to sunstroke. In Uttar Pradesh too, weather department officials confirmed that the heat wave had abated due to pre-monsoon showers across the eastern regions.

Although the temperature hovered one to two degrees below normal in some parts of Haryana and Punjab, the heat wave continued unabated in these areas. The weather office has attributed the fall in the temperature to south easterly winds blowing over these areas.

Amritsar with 44.4 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal, was the hottest place in Punjab, followed by Patiala recording 39.4 degrees, one degree below normal. The temperature fell two degrees below normal at Ludhiana registering 39.4 degrees.

People sizzled under 45.9 degrees at Hissar which continued to be the hottest place in Haryana. Ambala and Karnal respectively recorded 38.7 degrees, one degree below normal, and 37 degrees, two degrees below normal.

The heat wave abated in Himachal Pradesh with Sundernagar in Mandi district recording 37 degrees and Bhuntar in Kullu district 34.4 degrees, one degree above normal. State Sapital Shimla showed 27.6 degrees, four degrees above normal.

The Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers at few places in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and at isolated places in Punjab during the next 24 hours.

Thunder squalls with wind speed exceeding 45 km per hour are likely to occur at isolated places in Haryana and Punjab during the period. -- UNI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Pre-monsoon showers bring respite in some areas