Kanpur sizzles at 45.2 degrees Celsius, hottest day recorded after 31 years

KANPUR: The day temperature that continued to remain above 44 degrees for the fourth consecutive day on Monday led to death of many house sparrows in the city. This was for the first time that the sparrows died due to abnormally high temperature. As the day temperature was 45.2 degrees, Monday, therefore, turned out to be the hottest day of the season so far.This was about five degrees above normal.
The Met department of CSA university informed that the it was in 1984 that the mercury had touched 47 degrees on May 25 and 45 degrees on May 25 in 2012. It is since then that mercury has not crossed 45 degrees mark. It is after 31 years that it was so hot on May 25.
The harsh weather has affected human beings and animals alike. The worst hit remained the birds who died due to absence of water in Keshav Nagar locality. Ranvir Singh, a local of Keshav Nagar area informed TOI that the house sparrows were noticed dead outside a photocopy shop in the locality due to the extreme weather conditions.
Gaurav Bajpai, who runs an awareness campaign to save house sparrows, has appealed to the people to keep water bowls in their gardens or at open places such as varandas so that sparrows do not die because of thirst.
Chander Mani, another local of Keshav Nagar, said that a group of monkeys broke into her house and displaced the water tank lid to take dip in the stored water. She said that due to unbearable heat the monkeys took the plunge which was a rare scene to witness. CB Singh, Met expert at CSA university said that there were chances of rise in day temperature in the next two days, and that the mercury may touch 46 degrees mark. There are no chances of rains and weather would remain dry, he added.
The spell of extreme weather kept the locals confined to their houses. People stepped out by covering themselves up from head to toe, but still they could not save themselves from the scorching heat. Some people even complained of redness and irritation in their eyes. Sunburn and heatstroke cases have also been reported in the city. People have also complained that even air-conditioners have stopped cooling the rooms because of intense heat.