Bikaner and Jaisalmer sizzled at 44 degrees Celsius and 43.5 degrees Celsius (Representational)
Parts of north India sweltered under stifling heat on Friday as the mercury settled at above-normal levels, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the conditions are likely to become more favourable for further advancement of the southwest monsoon to Delhi over the next week.
The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 41.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal and a minimum temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, according to the IMD.
The weather stations at Palam and Ayanagar recorded the maximum temperatures of 43.1 degrees Celsius and 42.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The weatherman has predicted partly cloudy sky with a possibility of light rain or thundershowers accompanied with winds gusting up to 30-40 kmph for Saturday.
The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle around 41 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The maximum temperatures in neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, too, settled a few notches above normal.
Narnaul was the hottest place in the two states with a high of 43.8 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Department said.
Hisar in Haryana also braved the heat as it recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.
Ambala recorded a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, while Karnal recorded a high of 38 degrees Celsius.
In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala also recorded above-normal temperatures at 39.2 degrees Celsius, 38.5 degrees Celsius and 38.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which received showers earlier in the day, recorded a high of 37.8 degrees Celsius, which was within the normal limits.
Intense heat continued to affect normal life in Rajasthan, where Churu recorded the highest maximum temperature of 44.8 degree Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department.
Bikaner and Jaisalmer sizzled at 44 degrees Celsius and 43.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Sri Ganganagar and Jaipur recorded a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius each.
The day temperatures in Jodhpur, Barmer, Ajmer and Kota were 41.3 degrees Celsius, 40.8 degrees Celsius, 40.5 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The weatherman has forecast light rains at isolated places in the state during the next 24 hours.
The IMD, in its All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin, said conditions are likely to become favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon into some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Uttarakhand around June 22.
It said conditions are likely to become favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon "into entire Western Himalayan Region, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, most parts of Punjab, remaining parts of Arabian Sea, Gujarat state, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Rajasthan during the subsequent 72 hours."