LAHORE, May 1: People in the provincial metropolis on Thursday witnessed the season’s hottest day when temperature touched 41.2 degrees C. It was 39 degrees C on Wednesday.

The local Met office, however, hopes that there will be some relief in Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Gujranwala because of expected duststorms during the next 24 hours.

Although it was a public holiday on account of May Day, most of the people remained indoors to avoid inclement weather. Roads and streets were as deserted as recreational places till evening.

The city’s minimum (night) temperature was 24.6 degrees C compared to 22.8 degrees C on Wednesday with only 41 per cent humidity in the morning and 18 per cent in the evening.

Rain, clouds and strong westerly winds had kept temperature low in the province during most part of April, preventing a peak weather which is considered to be necessary for the maturity of wheat and melting of snow over the hills.

Normally maximum temperature remains above 40 degrees C in Lahore and elsewhere in the Punjab during most of April. However, this happened only for a few days this year.

Lahore recorded above 40 degrees C temperature only for three days. It was 40.2 degrees C on April 23 and 41 degrees C on April 24 and 25. The lowest temperature (31.4 degrees C) was recorded on April 19.

On Thursday, Bahawalnagar was the hottest place in the province with a maximum temperature of 45.6 degrees C. It was 45 degrees C in Rahim Yar Khan, 44.8 in Khanpur, 44.5 in Bahawalpur, 43.8 in Multan, 42.9 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 41.5 in Faisalabad and Jhang and 33 degrees C in Islamabad.

The Met office expects thunderstorm, rain in Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat, Malakand, Kashmir, Gilgit and Skardu during the next 24 hours. There are chances of dusty winds in Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad and their adjoining towns.