India’s hottest district stays over 48°C for fourth straight day, residents call it ‘Agni Pariksha’

UTtar Pradesh and often of compass north bharat remained in the traction of terrible heatwave conditions on Thursday, as Banda district continued to be the hottest place in the country for the fourth consecutive day.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the district recorded a maximum temperature of 48.2 degrees Celsius.ALSO READ | Rain prediction for Delhi in near future? IMD scientist says western disturbance approachingIndia’s hottest district records 48.2°CBanda has continued to top the country's temperature charts over the past few days, recording temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius for almost a week. "Key reasons include direct sunlight due to proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, clear skies, plateau terrain with low soil moisture, drying rivers, deforestation, and mining," meteorologist Dr Dinesh told ANI.A severe heatwave red alert has been issued across the state for the next three days, followed by an orange alert for the period after that. A warning for 'warm nights' has also been issued, Lucknow Met office director Manish R Ranalkar had earlier told HT.‘Agni Pariksha’ for BandaResidents in Banda were seen trying to get relief from the intense heat by drinking water and consuming sherbet from roadside stalls.Local resident Puneet Saxena said deforestation and illegal mining had contributed to rising temperatures in the district. He called it an “Agni Pariksha” for the district's residents."It is scorching hot in Banda right now. It is a sort of 'Agni Pariksha' for Banda residents. I believe the reason for this rise in temperature is trees being cut down and illegal mining. Stone and sand mafia operate here," he told ANI. Syed Imran Ali, another resident, also pointed to deforestation concerns. “The heat conditions are so bad that the temperature is continuously increasing. The biggest reason is illegal cutting down of trees to make roads. All the old huge trees that caused cooling due to their shadows have ceased to exist here," he said.Heatwave in Uttar PradeshThe meteorological centre in Lucknow said hot and dry westerly winds over southern Uttar Pradesh, along with moisture-laden easterly winds entering northern parts of the state due to the influence of a trough extending up to Manipur, have led to a rise in heat and humidity levels.For western Uttar Pradesh, the department has predicted heatwave conditions in some areas during daytime from May 21 to May 25, while isolated places may experience warm night conditions between May 22 and May 24.In eastern Uttar Pradesh, several places are likely to witness heatwave to severe heatwave conditions during the same period, along with warm night conditions at isolated locations.The weather department said dry conditions are expected to continue across the state, along with strong surface winds.With inputs from agencies