The Hindu : Front Page : Summer's hottest day so far for Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Summer's hottest day so far for Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Capital experienced the hottest day of summer so far on Saturday with the mercury crossing 44 degrees Celsius and no relief in sight. To make matters worse, the weatherman has forecast a scorcher of a Sunday today.

The maximum temperature on Saturday shot up to 44.1 degrees Celsius, a good three notches above normal, giving Delhiites a torrid time and making it the hottest June day in the last two years. The Capital had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius on June 12 last year, recalled the Meteorological Department.

Saturday's minimum temperature also was high at 27 degrees Celsius.

The unexpected heat conditions forced Delhiites, who just experienced one of the coolest Mays in recent years, to make a beeline for fruit and cold drink stalls. The weatherman attributed the rise in temperature to north-westerly winds and absence of an upper air circulation system and said the temperature might hover around 45 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

The maximum temperature in Delhi had crossed the 40-degree mark only on nine occasions in May and the month was also the wettest in the past four years with 16 rainy days. The maximum temperature recorded last month was 42.7 degrees on May 15 while the mercury had shot up to 46 degrees Celsius on May 19, 2002, the weather office said.

Hissar hottest in region

Hissar recorded a high of 45.6 degrees on Saturday, five degrees above normal, making it the hottest place in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh where temperatures rose sharply. With the mercury soaring, people were forced to remain indoors for most of the day. A blistering heat wave continued to affect normal life in Rajasthan for the second consecutive day on Saturday with the mercury touching 45.5 degrees at Churu and Sriganganagar.

Shimla's hottest day

Up above the plains, Shimla registered the hottest day of the year on Saturday with the mercury touching 28.3 degrees Celsius even as temperatures soared by 2 to 3 degrees across Himachal Pradesh. - PTI.

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

Front Page