Heavy rains in parts of south India, Barmer in Raj sizzles at

Heavy rains lashed parts of south India today, while the eastern and northern parts of the country continued to reel under the intense heat wave with Barmer in Rajasthan recording a high of 45.8 degrees Celsius.
In the national capital, it was a humid day with the maximum temperature settling at 40.1 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 26 degrees, a notch below the season's average, said a MeT department official.
The humidity level oscillated between 79 and 26 per cent.
Rainwater entered nearly 200 houses in low-lying Greenfield area in the tourist town of Udhagamandalam in Tamil Nadu, following heavy rains that lashed for nearly two and half hours.

The rains started pouring in the noon in various parts of the city, inundating low-lying areas, resulting in water entering Railway Police Station, and two commercial complexes in Charing Cross in the heart of the town.

With the South West Monsoon becoming active over Kerala, the state and union territory of Lakshadweep received heavy rains.
The highest amount of rain was received in Vadakara in Kozhikode (8 cm), while Minicoy (Lakshadweep) and Mavelikkara (Alapuzha) received 7 cm rains each, an IMD bulletin said.
In Haryana and Punjab, the maximum temperature hovered close to normal level. UT Chandigarh recorded maximum temperature of 39.8 degrees Celsius, as per the MeT department report.

Ambala in Haryana recorded maximum temperature at 40.1 degrees Celsius while maximum temperatures in Hisar and Karnal settled at 42.2 and 40.4 degrees Celsius respectively.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded maximum temperature at 41.1 degrees Celsius.
In Rajasthan, mercury showed an upward trend in most of the places.
Barmer was recorded as the hottest with 45.8 degrees Celsius followed by 45 degrees Celsius in Jaisalmer, 44.3 degrees Celsius in Ganganagar, and 44 degrees Celsius in Churu.
In the last 24 hours, Girva (Udaipur) received 4 cm rainfall and Abu Road (Sirohi) registered 2 cm rain.
In Odisha, the mercury breached the 40 degrees Celsius mark at five places.

Malkangiri became the the hottest place in the state recording 41.5 degrees Celsius followed by Jharsuguda town where the mercury stood at 41 degrees Celsius, the MeT office here said.
At least 16 heat-related deaths have been reported in the state so far this summer, said the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC).
In Bihar, mercury showed a rising trend with Gaya being the hottest place at 42.3 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature in Patna was 39.4 degrees Celsius, state MeT office bulletin said.