Weather updates: IMD says heatwave in north India to reduce in next 2 days, predicts rain for Bengal, these states.

Several states in north and central India have been reeling under an intense heatwave, with the mercury rising above 45 degrees Celsius in many cities. The India Meteorological Department on Saturday said heatwave conditions over northwest, central, and east India will gradually reduce over the next two days. “Gradual fall in maximum temperatures by 2-3°C very likely over northwest & east India during next 2-3 days and no significant change thereafter,” the weather agency said in its latest forecast. “A gradual fall in maximum temperatures by 2-3°C very likely over Central India during the next 5 days,” the IMD added. The gradual fall in temperature is likely in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh-Delhi, West and East Uttar Pradesh, West Rajasthan and East Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha. Most of these states in north and central India have been reeling from an intense heatwave, with the mercury rising above 45 degrees Celsius in many cities. On Friday, at least 40 suspected heat-related deaths, 25 of them of staff deployed on Lok Sabha poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were reported as heatwave conditions gripped a large swathe of the country. The Kanpur (IAF) weather station recorded the maximum temperature in the country at 48.2. Haryana’s Sirsa was the second hottest place at 47.8 degree Celsius. Delhi’s Ayanagar recorded the maximum temperature for the city at 47 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, IMD’s daily evening bulletin reported a maximum temperature of 52.9°C at Mungeshpur – the highest in the country – but it was withdrawn later.