Patna hottest place in country

PATNA: Mercury mayhem continued unabated in Bihar with Patna designated as the hottest place in the country on Sunday with the highest maximum temperature of 44.4 degrees C, according to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A respite from the scorching heat is unlikely as IMD has forecast heatwave conditions across the state on Monday as well.Districts in south, central and east Bihar, including Gaya and Bhagalpur among others, are likely to be affected.
The Patna Metrological Centre has also issued a heatwave alert for the entire state, except a few districts in north-eastern parts, for the next 48 hours.
Heatwave condition is said to prevail when the normal temperature is 40-degree C and above, and the actual temperature continues to be 4.5 notches above the normal for two consecutive days. The maximum temperature recorded in Patna on Saturday was eight notches higher than the respective normal for the day and seven notches higher than the respective normal on Sunday.
Patna, in fact, witnessed the highest maximum temperature for the month of June over the past one decade on Saturday with the mercury column recording 45.8 degrees C. The meteorological centre has predicted the maximum temperature to hover in the range of 42- 44 degrees C till June 22.
“June and July normally witness the hottest days of the year across the globe as the distance between the Sun and Earth is the least at this time of the year. The solar rays thus penetrate straight to the lowest level of atmosphere. Besides, the hot and dry westerly winds blowing in the region are intensifying the heat,” a senior Patna Met centre official said.
Weathermen, however, expect a slight respite from the scorching heat, as the local Met office has issued a forecast of generally cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thunderstorm in the state capital on June 21 and 22. The officials attributed it to pre-monsoon showers.
“Excessive heating at this time of the year leads to formation of low- pressure area, which in turn, leads to pre- monsoon thundershowers. Such thundershowers do not last long and subside within 30 minutes or an hour,” said a senior official at Patna meteorological centre.
Pre-monsoon showers apart, the southwest monsoon made progress over north-eastern and eastern India on the second consecutive day on Sunday. An all-India daily weather bulletin issued by IMD stated that southwest monsoon further advanced into most parts of northeast India and some parts of north Bengal and Sikkim.
However, senior officials at Patna centre claimed that monsoon is unlikely to hit Bihar before June 25, making a delay of nearly a fortnight from its normal onset date in the state. The rain-bearing winds normally enter Bihar through the north- eastern districts of Purnea and Kishanganj around June 10-12.