A scorching heat wave continues to sweep the northern plains where power outages at many places added to the misery of people. Meanwhile, the mercury at Ganganagar in Rajasthan touched a high of 46.8 degree Celsius.

It was followed by Churu which recorded a maximum of 45.8 degrees, the Met office said in Jaipur, adding Bikaner, Jaipur and Jaisalmer experienced highs of 43.4, 41.8 and 41.3 degrees respectively.

In Haryana, Hisar was the hottest at 45 degrees, five notches above normal. The streets were mostly deserted as people preferred staying indoors to facing the harsh sun.

In Karnal, the high settled at 41.7 degrees, two marks above normal and Ambala experienced a maximum of 42.4 degrees, three notches above normal.

In Punjab, Amritsar was the hottest with the mercury rising to 43.8 degrees, four notches above normal. Patiala recorded a high of 43 degrees, three marks above normal and Ludhiana experienced a maximum of 42.6 degrees, two degrees above normal.

The union territory of Chandigarh recorded a high of 42.6 degrees, three notches above normal.

The woes of people in Punjab and Haryana were compounded by frequent power outages lasting several hours daily, which made the heat unbearable.

It was also a hot day in the national capital as the mercury reached a high of 43.7 degrees, five notches above normal.