Allahabad continues to sizzle, sets new record at 47.6 degree Celsius

ALLAHABAD: The Sangam city continued to sizzle on Wednesday and recorded the new hottest day of this year’s summer at 47.6-degree Celsius. Thus, Allahabad not only broke the previous record of 47.3 degrees, recorded on Tuesday but also came second to Maharashtra's Chandrapur, which recorded a maximum temperature of 48 degrees.
According to weather station of the Indian Metrological Department (IMD), installed at Ghurpoor, Naini, the city recorded the maximum temperature of 47.6-degree Celsius while the minimum was 26.8 degrees. Banda was at second place in the state and perhaps the third hottest city in the country with 47.2 maximum temperature.
On Tuesday, the city recorded the maximum temperature of 47.3-degree Celsius while the minimum was at 28.8-degree Celsius.
However, as Wednesday set a new record of this year for the city, a maximum temperature of other prominent cities of the state including Lucknow was 43.9, Kanpur 44.0, Banda 47.2, Jhansi 45.7 and Varanasi 45.5.
“Extreme hot conditions are normal during this part of the year but the mercury shooting up to 47 marks and maintaining the high for two consecutive days is exceptional, the foremost reason is the massive cutting of vegetation for Kumbh this year”, said Prof S S Ojha of the Department of Geography.
The extremely hot conditions were felt more in the main city which has been witnessed the maximum development work during Kumbh because several of the huge green trees were brought down to widened the roads and now several of the localities and roads are functioning as ‘heat dome’ at a very micro level, said the expert.
“The overhead sizzling sun and the roads which have been recently laid with a fresh layer of tar complicates the situation," said Prof Ojha.
For instance, the stretch of road from Panni ki tanki to chaufatkka, authorities have cut around 40 odd trees which were there for past over 100 years for widening the road. Although they have planted new saplings now the denizens have to wait for at least 10 years before these saplings would make some difference, he added.
According to an estimate, around 70,000 trees were cut for several civil works pertaining to Kumbh.
“The weather would remain almost the same in the coming days as the temperature would remain around 46 degrees and one can expect dust storm and some thundershower by Friday," said Prof Suneet Dwivedi of AU.
Because of the hot conditions, several of the markets and parks continued to wear a deserted look all day through. The few headcounts, which were seen on the roads were seen protecting themselves from the heat by wrapping their face with cotton scarfs.