Blistering heat wave bakes Gujarat, Rajkot sizzles at 42°C

Rajkot: Intense heat baked large parts of Gujarat on Tuesday, with temperatures that rose well above normal leaving people struggling against the early onset of the summer.Rajkot recorded the highest maximum temperature in Saurashtra at 42°C, nearly 7.7 degrees above normal, while Ahmedabad sizzled at 41.4°C, about 7.2 degrees above normal. Bhuj recorded 41°C, while Amreli touched 40.3°C. Diu, the Union territory and a favourite getaway for Gujaratis, recorded temperatures as much as 10 degrees above normal. Several districts have crossed the 40°C mark in the first week of March, pointing to what could be a long and harsh summer.The scorching afternoon heat kept many people indoors, leaving roads and markets unusually quiet in the afternoon as residents avoided stepping out.According to the India meteorological department (IMD), discomfort due to hot and humid conditions is very likely to prevail over coastal areas of the Gujarat region and Saurashtra-Kutch in the next couple days.Across cities, roadside vendors selling sugarcane juice, buttermilk and tender coconuts did brisk business. Construction workers and delivery personnel covered their faces with scarves and cloth to shield themselves from the hot wind.Weather officials said heatwave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed at many places in Saurashtra-Kutch, while a few pockets of the Gujarat region also experienced intense heat. Rajkot, Surendranagar, Keshod, Bhavnagar, Porbandar and Kutch districts recorded heatwave conditions. In the Gujarat region, pockets of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Deesa, Surat and Vadodara also experienced sweltering conditions.