Jaipur, May 7 (IANS): Many cities in Rajasthan are in the grip of a heatwave with the mercury breaching the 42-degree Celsius mark on Tuesday.

Barmer recorded the highest temperature at 42.9-degree Celsius, the met department said on Tuesday, as it warned that the temperature will rise to 43-45 degrees Celsius at places like Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur, and Kota.

“The maximum temperature at some places in Jodhpur division will rise to 44-degree Celsius. On Wednesday and Thursday, there is a strong possibility of the maximum temperature rising to 45-degree Celsius at some places," said the Director of Jaipur Met Department, Radheshyam Sharma.

He also said that thunderstorms and rain are expected at isolated places in Udaipur, Kota, and Jodhpur divisions from May 10 due to the activation of a new Western disturbance, which will cause a dip in the maximum temperature by 2-3 degrees from May 11, bringing some relief from the heatwave.

Light rain with thunderstorms at isolated places is likely to continue till May 12, he said.

The cities that recorded temperatures above the 42-degree Celsius mark on Tuesday included Jaisalmer, Ganganagar, and Jalore (42.8), Kota and Dholpur (42.3), and Churu (42).