Met issues 'red' warning for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh; Phalodi in Rajasthan sizzles at 49 degrees Celsius

New Delhi, May 24

The mercury surged to 49 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan’s Phalodi — the highest temperature recorded in the country this year — as a sweltering heat wave stewed northwest India and some parts of the central region on Friday.

Official data showed that at least 23 places in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh recorded maximum temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Friday.

The extreme heat will continue in parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, west Uttar Pradesh and west Madhya Pradesh until May 28.

This means thousands of voters may face scorching temperatures when they step out to exercise their franchise in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday.

Around 11.43 crore people are eligible to vote in the sixth phase during which polling will be held in 58 seats spread across eight states and Union territories.

In Rajasthan, Phalodi logged a maximum temperature of 49 degrees Celsius on Friday, the highest recorded so far this year.

Jaisalmer and Barmer in the desert state sizzled at 48.3 degrees and 48.2 degrees. Akola and Jalgaon in Maharashtra reached 45.8 degrees and 45.4 degrees. Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam and Rajgarh recorded a high of 46.2 degrees and 46.3 degrees.

Maximum temperatures settled at 45.4 degrees in Haryana’s Sirsa, 44.8 degrees in Punjab’s Bathinda, and 45.5 degrees in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

The Met office issued a ‘red’ warning for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, emphasising a “very high likelihood” of heat illness and heatstroke in all ages.

It said warm night conditions could further exacerbate heat-related stress in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan over the next four days.