No relief from heat, Ahmedabad sizzles at 43.6 degrees

AHMEDABAD: The city was like a furnace on Thursday when the mercury climbed to 43.6 degree Celsius. This was the second consecutive day when the maximum temperature rose above 43 degrees.
Weather officials said that while conditions do not yet warrant a heat wave to be declared, people should stay indoors between 12 pm and 4 pm when the sun is at its hottest.
"The temperature in Ahmedabad is expected to remain between 43 and 44 degrees on Friday as well. A western disturbance is approaching which can help bring down the temperatures in the region. However, the western disturbance is currently weak. We are following it to ascertain if it will have any impact on local temperatures," said Jayanta Sarkar, director of Indian Meteorological Department, Gujarat.
Sarkar said that the normal maximum temperature for this time of the year is 41 degrees. "The temperature is 1.6 degrees above normal. A heat wave is declared when the temperature is three to four degrees above normal," he said.
Meanwhile, Amdavadis are adopting different ways to beat the heat - from drinking nimbu-paani to working for long hours in office to enjoy the comforts of air-conditioning. "I prefer to stay back in office after my shift ends as I don't have AC at home," said Ruchi Shah who works in a bank.
It seems that the heat in the city also contributed to the success of Bollywood flicks released recently. People are visiting malls and multiplexes in large numbers this summer. "To escape from the heat I watched four movies this week in the multiplex. I get the comfort of air-conditioning along with entertainment," said Ashwin Patel who lives in Vatsrapur.
"I came to Ahmedabad from Delhi three months ago. Even Delhi is not this hot," said Ankit Gupta while having a cold drink with his colleagues. Doctors also advise that one should drink a lot of water and other liquids during summers. "I drink at least 10 litres of water every day to keep the heat away," Gupta said.
The heat is worst for auto-rickshaw drivers. They always look for parking under a shade. "I drink a lot of nimbu-paani all the day and also park my vehicle under a tree or near a building," said Bharat Mistry who drives an auto-rickshaw and lives in Vadaj.
Apart from women using a dupatta to ward off the heat and men tying handkerchiefs around their faces, people are nowadays also covering their head with a wet cloth to keep themselves cool. "It gets hot inside the helmet. So I decided to put a wet cloth on my head," said Sanjay Jain who drives almost nine km every day to get to his office.