PM's Important Meet On Heatwave Today After Returning From Europe: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an important meeting to prepare to deal with heatwave and the oncoming monsoon, say government sources.

PM Modi is expected to hold seven to eight meetings during the day; he returned from his three-day visit to Europe today.

Several parts of the country have logged all-time high temperatures under the impact of the torrid heatwave.

A hailstorm and a bout of rain in parts of Delhi on Wednesday brought a much-needed respite from the tormenting heat. The impact will linger for another day. The temperature will start rising from Friday with heatwave conditions returning by Sunday, weather forecasters said.

In Himachal Pradesh, hundreds of forest fires have broken out in recent weeks, eating up tinder-dry pine forests including around Dharamsala. Himachal Pradesh normally sees rain, hail and even snow in higher areas at this time of year but many parts have seen no precipitation in two months, sparking more and bigger blazes than normal.

"Teams of firefighters are working hard to put out these fires and also to save wild animals," state forest chief Ajay Srivastava told news agency AFP.

Power cuts were partly blamed on shortages of coal after an unusually hot March and April pushed up power demand and ate up stockpiles.