New Delhi, April 22: Six more persons died due to the intense heat in Orissa, taking the toll so far across the country to 60 even as many places in northern region today experienced a respite from the summer owing to rain and snow.
Reports of fresh casualties came from Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Ganjam in the eastern state where Talcher sizzled at 46.2 degree celsius.
The maximum temperature stood at 45.6 degrees in Sambalpur, 45.3 degrees in Baripada and 45.2 degrees in Jharsuguda, the Met office said.
Similar conditions prevailed in parts of West Bengal where Purulia baked at a high of 47.7 degrees. In neighbouring Bankura, Birbhum and West Midnapore districts the mercury hovered between 44 and 46 degrees.
It was unbearable for residents of Kolkata as the mercury touched 39.9 degrees and humidity stood at 95 per cent.
However, in northern India, there was a slight respite from the heat at many places with snow in the upper reaches and dust storms and rains in the plains, bringing the mercury down.
In Jammu and Kashmir, rain and snow led to the closure of the Srinagar-Leh highway for traffic this morning after the 11,578 feet high Zojila pass witnessed snowfall.
Till afternoon, about nine inches of snow had accumulated on the arterial road and several landslides also occurred at places on the highway.
Reports of moderate to heavy snowfall were also received from high altitude areas across Kashmir, including in areas around the cave shrine of Amarnath and in Sonamarg.
A report from Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh said snowfall at Rohtang pass led to its closure while the Queen of the Hills and other lower areas experienced light showers which brought down the mercury.
In the Queen of the Hills, the high stood at 24.7 degrees, a dip from yesterday’s 26.1 degrees.
In Punjab, Amritsar, which received showers, was the coolest with a day time temperature of 32.3 degrees, seven notches below normal. Yesterday, the city experienced a hot day at 41.4 degrees.
Light rains also brought down temperatures in Ludhiana and Patiala to 35 and 38.1 degrees respectively, less than yesterday’s 41 and 41.7 degrees, the Met office said.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 38.2 degrees while the mercury settled at 38.9 degrees at Hisar.
In the national capital, the maximum temperature came down to 40.7 degrees from yesterday’s 41.8 degrees. However, the minimum climbed up to 30.5 degrees, the second highest in the past 41 years.
The humidity levels were also low in the city during the day as it oscillated between 13 and 37 per cent, the weatherman said, attributing the conditions to a western disturbance over the city.
–PTI