52-year-old dies of heat stroke in Haryana

CHANDIGARH - The prevailing intense heat wave in Haryana has claimed its first victim as temperatures continue to reign five to seven degrees above normal in the state, officials said Sunday.

According to health officials, 52-year-old Rishi Pal died Friday while he was working in his fields in Jhinjhauli village of Sonepat district.

The met department said day and night temperatures are above normal by five to seven degrees in Punjab and Haryana while Chandigarh Saturday saw the highest temperature in the month of April in the last 30 years.

The mercury soared to 42.6 degrees Celsius, eight notches above normal in Chandigarh. Earlier, it had recorded the same temperature April 21, 1980.

In Haryana, Hisar town was the hottest in the region Saturday at 46 degrees.

“Mercury is remaining above normal by five to seven degrees Celsius in most parts of Punjab and Haryana for the last few days. It is also accompanied with intense heat wave. We are observing this surge in the mercury at this time of the year after many years,” Surender Paul, director of Chandigarh meteorological centre, told IANS.

“We are expecting thunderstorm and dust storm in the region by this (Sunday) evening or by tomorrow (Monday). This may be followed by some rainfall that could bring down the temperature a bit,” he said.

Chandigarh, which is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, Sunday recorded a minimum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius that was seven degrees above normal.

In Punjab, Ludhiana and Amritsar cities recorded minimum temperatures of 25.5 and 23.4 degrees, respectively — six degrees above normal.

Hisar was hottest in the region Sunday as the minimum temperature there was 30.8 degrees, 11 degrees above normal. Karnal and Ambala cities recorded 24.6 and 24.2 degrees, respectively — nearly five notches above normal.