New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) People of Delhi and its neighbourhood on Tuesday got a little relief from the scorching heat as the maximum temperature dropped by about four degrees Celsius. But hot weather conditions continued in several parts of the country, with the toll in Telangana going up to 219.
The residents of Delhi continued to battle long traffic jams for the second day due to protests by diesel taxi operators but the weather conditions were not as severe as on Monday when the city recorded its highest temperature of the season.
The maximum temperature on Tuesday was 39.6 degrees Celsius, a near four-degree drop from the 44 degrees recorded on Monday.
The weather office forecast further relief to people in Delhi and adjoining areas o ver the next four days.
"Due to the western disturbance, the sky would remain cloudy, due to which light rains and thundershower are likely to occur in some areas in Delhi," an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told IANS.
The official said temperature started dropping from Tuesday and the process would continue for the next four days after which the temperature would remain stable for some more time.
"Western disturbance will have good impact on the Delhi region but south Indian states like Telangana and Kerala would not get respite," the official said.
Western disturbance is an extra-tropical storm system originating in the Mediterranean, which brings sudden rain towards the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. It has effect on India, Pakistan and Nepal.
In Himachal Pradesh, rain in Shimla and nearby areas doused forest fires to an extent but the blaze was still raging in some pockets and destroyed flora and fauna in over 3,500 hectares, forest officials said. There was, however, no loss of life.
The weather department has forecast widespread rain and thundershowers in the state till May 5.
Shimla recorded the hottest day of the season on Monday. The showers on Tuesday brought cheers to the tourists who have thronged the hill stations to escape the heat in the northern plains.
The Met Office said there could be light to moderate rain or thundershowers in popular tourist resorts like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kasauli, Manali, Palampur, Chamba and Dalhousie till May 5 and dry weather thereafter.
In Telangana, the toll due to the heat wave went up to 219 as 41 more deaths were reported since Monday, officials said on Tuesday.
As many as 23 deaths were reported from the worst-hit Nalgonda district since Monday. The district now accounts for 76 deaths in the overall toll for the state.
An official in the state disaster management department told IANS that 12 more deaths were reported from Khammam district.
The Met department has extended the heat wave warning for two more days. It said many parts of Telangana were likely to record maximum temperatures between 41 and 45 degrees Celsius.
Ramagundam was the hottest place in the state on Tuesday with the mercury rising to 46.4 degrees.
Parts of Telangana continued to receive light rains with squalls under the influence of upper air trough extending from Vidarbha to Comorin across Telangana, said the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre.
In Rajasthan, heat wave conditions continued to affect normal life. Though light rainfall on Monday evening in parts of the state did bring temperatures down moderately, mercury was still hovering between 40 and 44 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state.
The minimum temperature has too been above normal in the desert state.
The highest maximum temperature -- 43.7 degrees -- was recorded in Churu, and was almost three degrees above average. Even the minimum temperature -- recorded at 28.8 degrees Celsius -- was five degrees above normal.
Jaipur was also hot at 41.7 degrees, two notches above the average, while the minimum was 29.5 degrees, five notches above average.
