NAWABSHAH, March 20 A number of men, women and children fainted here on Saturday as Nawabshah experienced the hottest day of March in its history when temperature rose to 45 degree Celsius.

Before Saturday, the hottest temperature of Nawabshah in March was 43.5 degrees Celsius recorded in 1999. Intensity of heat forced people to remain confined to their houses, leaving roads and commercial centres wearing a deserted look.

A number of cases were reported in different hospitals of Shaheed Benazirabad district. Most of the patients were suffering from dehydration, cholera and sunstrokes.

Munir Leghari at local Met office said that maximum temperature recorded on Saturday was 45 degree Celsius which was a record.

Nizakat Ali at Meterogical Office of Karachi told Dawn that average temperature in Nawabshah during March remained 39.4 degree Celsius and it rose up to 43.5 degree Celsius on March 2 in 1999.

And power outage on Saturday made citizens lives miserable.

Our Umerkot correspondent adds Many snakes came out of holes as temperature surged in Thar desert.

More than 30 victims of snakebite were admitted to the taluka hospital of Umerkot during the last two weeks.