NASHIK: As many as 18 places in Maharashtra reported maximum temperatures of more than 40°C on Thursday, with Jalgaon in the northern region of the state registering a sizzling 45.6°C — the third highest day temperature in the country after Daltonganj in Jharkhand (45.8°C) and Ganganagar in west Rajasthan (45.7°C).
Akola in Vidarbha was the second hottest place in the state with 45.4°C. Pune registered 41.8°C and Chinchwad 43.6°C.
The Vidarbha region reeled under severe heat conditions with places like Brahmpuri recording 45.2°C, followed by Amravati (44.4°C), Nagpur (44.3°C) and Chandrapur (43.8°C).
In north Maharashtra, the textile town of Malegaon recorded 43.4°C followed by Dhule at 42°C and Nashik 41.1°C. The temperature at Dhule is recorded by the agriculture college as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) does not have a weather station there.
The authorities in Jalgaon have made water available at different spots in the city and have also readied a separate ward in the government hospital to deal with heat stroke cases. Prior to Thursday, the highest maximum temperature for April in Jalgaon was 47.2°C celsius on April 26, 1970.
A farmer had died in Jalgaon due to heat stroke on March 28, the first fatality of such kind in the state. “IMD had alerted the district administration a few days back that Jalgaon’s day temperature would soar and heatwave conditions would prevail for a few days. Barring the farmer’s death, however, there have been no fatalities due to heat stroke in the district so far,” Jalgaon district collector Abhijit Raut told TOI.
