Srinagar records hottest day, Jammu scorches at around 39 degrees

Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar on Thursday recorded season's highest temperature so far at 34.4 degrees Celsius while the heat wave continued unabated in Jammu where the maximum was 38.7 degrees.

"The maximum temperature recorded in Srinagar today (on Thursday) was 34.4 degrees Celsius which is the highest recorded so far this season. It was nearly four degrees above average," a met department official told IANS.

"The heat wave continued in Jammu city where the day's maximum was 38.7 degrees," the official said.

According to the met department, the present heat wave conditions are likely to continue during the next 24 hours after which there would be respite from the sweltering heat.

"We are expecting rainfall activity on July 2 and that would bring down the temperatures across the board in Jammu and Kashmir," the official told IANS.

Scores of youth using all possible modes of conveyance simply ran out of Srinagar on Thursday because of the day's heat and were seen bathing and cooling themselves in the waters of the Sindh Stream, 27 km north of the city in Ganderbal district.

Heat wave during the day seemed to bother the local Muslims more because of the ongoing Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting.

--IANS

sq/vd