Line of fire from the hills to Punjab: Faridkot a fiery 45.9°C, Una 44.3°C

Bathinda/Kullu: Heat wave conditions continued across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, with temperatures soaring well above normal and outdoor activity taking a hit across the region.Faridkot recorded Punjab's highest maximum temperature at 45.9°C, while Sirsa in Haryana touched 45.8°C. In Himachal Pradesh, Una remained the hottest place at 44.3°C, nearly 6°C above normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said temperatures in several places ranged between 40°C and 47°C, markedly above normal by over 5°C in isolated pockets across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.Punjab and Haryana both recorded a marginal fall of 0.9°C in average maximum temperatures compared with Wednesday, though temperatures remained appreciably above normal.The IMD said heat wave to severe heat wave conditions were likely to continue in many parts of Haryana till May 27, while Punjab would continue to experience heat wave conditions during the same period.The intense heat affected outdoor workers and farmers engaged in cotton sowing and direct seeding of rice. Municipal election campaigning was also impacted, with candidates preferring morning and evening outreach while avoiding afternoon heat.The weather department has issued advisories asking people to avoid prolonged exposure to heat and remain hydrated. Punjab may, however, get some relief on May 22, with isolated to scattered light rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph likely at some places. Dust storm activity is also expected in isolated pockets.Strong winds were reported from several places on Thursday, including gusts of 61 kmph in Sonipat, 48 kmph in Seobagh and 39 kmph in Hoshiarpur.In Himachal Pradesh, Neri in Hamirpur recorded 41°C, while Sundernagar touched 39.9°C. Mandi, Nahan and Kangra also witnessed temperatures nearing 39°C.Shimla recorded 30.5°C, around 5.5°C above normal, while Dharamshala touched 36.1°C. Minimum temperatures too remained above normal across the state. The meteorological centre in Shimla issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, hail, lightning and gusty winds in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts for May 22.