New Delhi:
The intense heat in northern, western and central India claimed 23 lives, including that of three CRPF personnel, as Bhopal recorded its highest temperature in 63 years at 46 degrees.
Temperatures were also on the upswing elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh where three CRPF personnel died due to the heat in Gwalior, where the maximum temperature was recorded at 47.6 degrees.
State capital Bhopal recorded its highest temperature in 63 years at 46 degrees. Before this, the mercury had touched 45.6 degrees Celsius in the city on May 22, 1947, Met officials said.
It said the temperature in Morena was recorded at above 45 degrees. Earlier, the Met office had said that it experienced a high of 49.2 degrees.
The heatwave in Gujarat claimed 14 lives since Sunday, including five persons in Ahmedabad, according to officials.
The Met office said Idar recorded a high of 45.2 degrees, Vallabhvidhya Nagar (44.6), Ahmedabad (44.9), Vadodara (44.7), Gandhinagar (44.4), Rajkot (43.5) and Bhavnagar (43.2).
In Rajasthan, six people, including a woman died due to scorching heat in Haduatti region due to heat stroke as the mercury shot up to 47.2 degrees.
Kota was the hottest at a high of 48.2 degrees.
Sriganganagar followed next with a daytime temperature of 48.1 degrees.
Churu, Bikaner, Barmer and Jaipur saw the mercury touch 47.4, 47.3, 46 and 45.6 degrees respectively.
Conditions were similar in Punjab and Haryana where Hisar was the hottest at 47.4 degrees, six degrees above normal.
Karnal had a high of 43.4 degrees, four notches above normal, while it was 43.3 degrees in Ambala.
Ludhiana in Punjab saw the mercury touch 45.2 degrees, while in Patiala the high was recorded at 44.6 degrees.
Amritsar experienced a daytime temperature of 44.4 degrees, five notches above normal, the Met office said.
Chandigarh at 43.6 degrees was hotter than normal by six degrees.
In the national capital, residents experienced a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees while the minimum was recorded at 30.2 degrees.
The high was three degrees above normal while minimum was four degrees above normal for this time of the year.
The humidity oscillated between 29 and 62 per cent.
In Vidarbha too, it was a hot day with the mercury rising to 47.3 degrees in Nagpur. In Brahmapuri and Wardha, the day temperatures were recorded at 47.7 and 47.5 degrees.