5 die of heat stroke in Maharashtra

At least five people died of heat stroke in Maharashtra on Thursday as temperatures across the country reached extreme levels leading to heat wave-like conditions in several states. A heat wave warning has been issued by the Met Department in several parts of Maharashtra for 48 hours.

The Met Department in Telangana has said that every district of the state will witness a temperature of over 40 degrees for the next two days. The Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh will also see temperatures soaring over 40 degrees for 48 hours.

This comes after a town named Bhira in the Raigad district of Maharashtra recorded a temperature of 46.5 degrees on Wednesday.

Such extreme temperatures are usually unheard of in March. However, officials from the Indian Meteorogical Department said that they would like to verify the findings as they think it may not be accurate.

"When the temperature (at Bhira) was reported to be 46.5 degree



Celsius, we realised that something is wrong as no other place nearby recorded so high a temperature... Bhira village is located in the Sahyadri mountains and is close to a dam. The mountains are covered with forest. The height of the mountains around Bhira would be minimum 2,000 feet. In such a situation, if the mapping centre shows 46.5 degree, it should be doubted," SG Kamble, divisional in-charge of Regional Meteorological Department in Mumbai, told the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Temperatures to remain above 40 degree Celsius in for the next 2 days

The city of Akola in Maharashtra recorded a temperature of 44.1 degrees, while Barmer in Rajasthan recorded a temperature of 43.4 degrees and Narnaul in Haryana recorded 42 degrees, which is nine degrees above the normal temperatures that are usually recorded in March. The maximum temperature in a few cities in Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi, Allahabad, Hamirpur and Agra - crossed 40 degrees.