Many cities in U.P. start to sizzle, expect more heat wave days this summer

Several UP cities, including Varanasi, Jhansi and Prayagraj have started experiencing heat-wave-like conditions in the first two weeks of March.

- HT Correspondent

LUCKNOW: Varanasi (BHU) observatory station on Saturday recorded the highest temperature in the state at 39.9 degrees Celsius, which is 8.5 degrees above normal. On Wednesday, the mercury rose to 39.3 degrees Celsius in Jhansi.

"On Saturday, Varanasi, Prayagraj (39.6), Churk (Sonbhadra) experienced 39.4 degrees Celsius, Fursatganj (Amethi) recorded 37 degrees and Lucknow (36.9) recorded highest temperature in the first fortnight of March in the recent climatological period i.e., 1991 onwards," said Atul Kumar Singh, senior scientist at Lucknow Met office, the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Increase in number of heat wave days The IMD has predicted that there is a possibility of an effective increase in the number of heat wave days in the summer season (March-May) due to which the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to stay higher than normal at most places in the state," warned Singh, on Saturday.