New Delhi: The northern and eastern parts of India sweated it out on Sunday as mercury crossed the 40-degree mark in several places and Orissa reported 23 suspected sunstroke deaths so far this summer.
Temperatures showed an upward trend in most parts of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi while the warm weather conditions in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh proved to be a spoiler for tourists who flocked there looking for some relief.
The heat wave was at its most severe in Orissa, where at least 23 people died of suspected sunstroke this season, officials said. However, only one has been confirmed as a heat-related death so far, according to them.
Talcher in the coal belt and its adjoining areas reeled under blistering heat as the mercury soared to 44.3 degree Celsius. Neighbouring Angul recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degree C, while Balangir registered a high 43.4 degree C.
In the northern plains, Hisar was the hottest with 42 degree C, while the high was 40 degree C in Karnal and Ludhiana and 39.2 degree C in Chandigarh.
Delhiites bore the brunt of unusually hot weather with the mercury touching 41.6 degree Celsius, five notches above the normal at this time of the year. The maximum had crossed 40 degree earlier this week, the first time in five years that such high temperature was experienced in the month of April.
The maximum temperature was one to five degrees above normal in all the four metros, with a massive power failure adding to the hardship of the people in Kolkata.