Jaipur, May 12 (IANS) Rajasthan continued to reel under extreme and sharply contrasting weather conditions as Barmer emerged as the hottest place in the country, recording a maximum temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state so far this season.

The Meteorological Department has now issued heatwave and thunderstorm alerts across multiple districts, warning that the dramatic weather swings are likely to continue over the next three days. There is a possibility of a slight rise in both minimum and maximum temperatures across most parts of Rajasthan over the next few days.

The Meteorological Department has warned of heatwave conditions and hot nights in parts of the Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions for the next 4-5 days.

In the south-eastern districts as well, maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 43 and 45 degrees C in the coming days, with the possibility of heatwave conditions and unusually warm nights at some places.

Meanwhile, during the next 48 hours, thunderstorms, strong winds blowing at speeds of 40-50 kmph, and a drizzle are likely in parts of the Bikaner division, the Shekhawati region, Jaipur, and northern areas of the Bharatpur division. Except for northern Rajasthan, weather conditions remained mostly clear across the state over the last 24 hours.

Districts including Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Barmer, Jodhpur, and Jalore experienced intense heatwave conditions. While Barmer recorded a maximum temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius, the highest this season, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Chittorgarh also recorded temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius.

Meteorological experts say hot winds entering the Thar region from Pakistan without obstruction are a major reason behind the sharp rise in temperatures in Jaisalmer and Barmer. Parts of Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh witnessed thunderstorms, rain, and hailstorms on Monday.

Cloud cover persisted since morning, followed by strong winds and light rainfall at several places. Ganganagar recorded a maximum temperature of 42.8 degrees Celsius, while Hanumangarh recorded 38 degrees Celsius.

The capital city, Jaipur, recorded a rise in temperature on Monday, with the maximum temperature touching 39.9 degrees Celsius. Bright sunshine and humidity made conditions uncomfortable throughout the day.

The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and rain in Jaipur for Tuesday. Udaipur experienced intense heat, with warm winds continuing even during the night.

On Monday, the maximum temperature reached 42.3 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 25.9 degrees C. Night temperatures in Kota rose by nearly 2 degrees to touch 42.7 degrees C.

Residents faced scorching sunshine and hot winds throughout the afternoon. The minimum temperature stood at 27.4 degrees Celsius. A yellow alert for heatwave conditions has been issued for Tuesday.

–IANS

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