LUCKNOW: The mercury crossed 40 degrees Celsius mark on Tuesday, making it one of the hottest days in March in the past five years.
Met officials have warned that no relief is likely in the coming days and the maximum temperature during the day could soar to 42 degrees Celsius by the weekend.
Weather office cautioned people to take all precautions while venturing out to protect themselves from sunstroke and dry hot winds.
Normally known for pleasant weather conditions, March has been unusually hot this year, with both maximum and minimum temperatures keeping 5-6 degrees above normal.
On Tuesday, the maximum temperature soared to 40.4 degrees Celsius, which was 5.4 units above normal and minimum temperature was 19.4 degrees Celsius, 1.9 notches above normal.
On Wednesday, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 41 and 19 degrees Celsius respectively.
State Met director JP Gupta said that normally March witnesses 3-4 spells of thundershowers or rains due to western disturbances, which kept temperatures at the normal levels . “However, this year the phenomenon was absent. Sky was clear throughout the month and with no rains, mercury levels remained constantly high,” he added.
Similar conditions were witnessed last year when only one spell of thundershower occurred on March 13. Thereafter, the entire month was dry and sunny, resulting in gradual rise of mercury. The highest maximum temperature was 40.4 degrees Celsius recorded on March 31.
