New Delhi: Twelve people died in various parts of the country due to suspected sunstroke on Friday as heat wave conditions continued unabated in the northern belt.
Six more persons died in Orissa taking the death toll in the state to 78 while four succumbed to blazing heat in Uttar Pradesh and two died in Punjab.
Scorching sun aggravated heat situation in Punjab and Haryana as maximum temperature remained well above normal in the region with Hisar recording a high of 45.1 degrees Celsius and Amritsar reeling under 43.6 degrees.
Mercury kept an upward trend in the national capital that sizzled to touch the season's highest of 44.2 degrees, five points above the normal temperature at this time of year.
Government and government-aided schools were closed for in Delhi for an early summer vacation from Friday as the city continued to boil.
The hottest place in UP remained Jhansi with maximum temperature remaining at 45.1 degrees and in Lucknow the mercury rose five notches above normal to settle at 43.8 degrees.
Citizens in Himachal Pradesh experienced their first share of summer heat of the season as temperature in the state capital unusually shot up to its highest in ten years.
Shimla recorded the maximum temperature at 28.4 degrees while in Sundernagar the minimum was 17.5 and 17.3 in Dharamsala.
In Rajasthan, Pilani baked at 47 degrees as hot winds threw life out of gear at many places.
Chhattishgarh seared in heat wave with Bilaspur burning at an unbearable 46 degrees, its highest for the season.
Intense heat conditions continued in Uttarakhand also as mercury crossed the mark of 41 degrees in Dehra Dun, which broke its 39-year-old record for the month of April when it registered 40.8 degrees on Thursday.