Weather update: The weather patterns in the country are showing different colors. While the fire raining from the sky is scorching the entire North-West India, the torrential rains in South India have become a disaster for the people.

The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert regarding extreme heat in North India for the next five days. People have been advised to come out of the house only when absolutely necessary. In the far southern state of Kerala, red alert has been issued in two districts and orange alert in nine districts due to torrential rains. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Rainfall up to 20 cm has been recorded in red alert districts of Kerala.

Apart from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, 12 to 14 cm rainfall has also been recorded in Kanyakumari and Sivagangai districts. The Meteorological Department has predicted the maximum daytime temperature to be 47 degrees Celsius or above in most areas of Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Whereas in Jammu division the mercury remained at 40.0 degrees on the seventh day.

The plain areas of the hilly states are also scorching. The mercury remained above 40 degrees in Jammu division for the seventh consecutive day on Wednesday. Life has been affected due to continuous scorching heat for a week. Due to reduced rainfall and snowfall and rising temperature in Himachal, most of the water sources are drying up and 478 drinking water supply schemes have been affected. There is a shortage of water resources by 75 percent and there is no other alternative source. In many districts including Solan, water is being supplied in three to four days.

The mercury reached 48 degrees Celsius in Barmer, Rajasthan on Wednesday, which was the highest maximum temperature in the country. Apart from this, temperatures of 47.8 degrees in Phalodi, 47.4 in Churu and 47.2 degrees in Jaisalmer were recorded in three more cities of the state. In many districts of the state the temperature was recorded at 45 degrees or more.