The heatwave gripping parts of Rajasthan is expected to intensify over the next few days, the Meteorological Department has warned. With the impact of the recent western disturbances having dissipated, the heatwave conditions are set to intensify across many districts in the state, officials said.

The Meteorological Centre has issued warnings about the upcoming heatwave, particularly for the Jodhpur division and parts of western Rajasthan.

Additionally, hot nights are expected on April 28 and April 29.

Meanwhile, Barmer in Rajasthan recorded the highest maximum temperature, which was 46.1 degrees Celsius, four degrees higher than the normal one. A heatwave was recorded in the Jodhpur division, while dry weather conditions continued across the rest of Rajasthan, said Met officials.

However, the minimum temperature was recorded at 19.9 degrees Celsius in Sangaria (Hanumangarh).

The Meteorological Centre in Patna has issued orange and yellow alerts for rain, thunderstorms, and lightning across 36 districts of Bihar over the next two days.

The weather has taken a sudden turn amid the heatwave gripping the state since Sunday.

Strong winds, with speeds ranging between 50 and 60 km per hour, are expected during this period, according to the Met department.

Citizens have been advised to stay indoors and exercise caution during adverse weather conditions.

On Sunday night, two people were killed in Patna and Hajipur due to lightning strikes, while five others sustained injuries amid strong winds and rain in Patna, Hajipur, and Bagaha. The injured have been admitted to local hospitals.

In a tragic incident, at least five villagers lost their lives and three others were seriously injured when a mound of soil collapsed while they were digging in a pond at Tikar Deeh village in the Kokhraj police station area of Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district on Monday, officials said.

According to Brajesh Kumar Srivastava, Public Relations Officer of the Superintendent of Police, eight villagers had gone to the pond to dig soil for whitewashing their homes. While they were at work, a large mound of soil suddenly gave way, burying all of them under the debris.

Upon receiving information, police teams rushed to the spot and, with the help of local residents, managed to pull all eight people out.

They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. However, five of them were declared dead on arrival, while the three injured are currently undergoing treatment. Their condition is stated to be serious.

In a sweeping crackdown, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has taken major action against illegal encroachments in the districts near the India-Nepal border, demolishing hundreds of unauthorised structures, including unrecognised religious institutions.

The large-scale drive, which aimed to free valuable government land from unlawful occupation, was carried out in border districts such as Bahraich, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, and Balrampur.

The special anti-encroachment operation, conducted between April 25 and April 27, targeted areas within a 10 to 15-kilometre radius of the Nepal border. These regions had long seen the proliferation of illegal structures on public land, some of which included unregistered religious sites.

Authorities said the move is part of a broader push to secure sensitive border areas and restore public property.

in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, J&K Police, army and security forces have intensified their crackdown and detained 175 suspects for questioning.

“Many raids were conducted at various locations throughout the Anantnag district. Day and night search operations are underway with heightened vigilance. So far, around 175 suspects have been detained for questioning to dismantle the support networks aiding terrorist activities,” an official said.

He said that to further enhance security, additional Mobile Vehicle Check Points (MVCPs) have been established across the district to monitor suspicious movements and ensure public safety.

“Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs), ambushes, and intensified patrolling have been launched, particularly in high-density forest areas, to flush out any possible terrorist presence and secure the district. Police, along with partner security forces, remain committed to maintaining peace and thwarting any attempt to disrupt normalcy in the district,” he said.

As Gujarat continues to experience intense heat, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that temperatures will rise by an additional 2-3 degrees Celsius in the coming days, till April 30.

As per the IMD report issued on Saturday, Rajkot recorded the highest maximum temperature at 43.0 Degrees Celsius, a staggering 3.1 degrees above normal, while Ahmedabad followed closely with a maximum of 41.7 Degrees Celsius, 1 degree above the seasonal average.

“Bhuj registered a high of 41.5 degrees Celsius, marking a 2.4-degree departure from normal, while Amreli and Deesa recorded 41.1 degrees Celsius and 40.5 degrees Celsius, respectively,” said the weather department.

It added that these temperatures suggest that the region is grappling with a prolonged and persistent heatwave.

The IMD expects the mercury to rise further in the next few days.

In a major operation against terror networks, the Jharkhand Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Saturday conducted raids at multiple locations across the state, detaining four individuals -- three men and a woman. The team also seized laptops, smartphones, diaries, and other incriminating materials during the raids.

The crackdown follows the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people.

In response to potential links and heightened security concerns, Jharkhand ATS teams launched coordinated raids in Dhanbad and Koderma districts.

In Dhanbad, raids were carried out at Wasseypur, Pandarpala, Azad Nagar, Aman Society, and A Block of Bhuli.

At least 20 employees were injured in a boiler blast accident that occurred on Saturday at the Windsor Company located in Noida’s Sector-63, officials said.

According to the police, of the 20 injured, eight -- Sachin (18), Kuldeep (21), Ravikant (25), Akash (20), Mohit (19), Alam (29), Prakash (52) and Seema (42) -- were admitted to a private hospital in Sector-71.

The remaining 12 -- Pankaj (26), Manoj Paswan (35), Sunita (40), Asha Rani (27), Bhumi (19), Kalp Singh (19), Pramod (38), Rajneesh (18), Lokesh (19), Satendra (35), Pushpendra (27) and Atul (30) -- were taken to another private hospital in Sector-63.

A soldier sustained injuries when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded, striking his leg during an intense operation against Maoists on the Karregutta Hills area of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.

The explosion caused significant damage, but his fellow soldiers acted swiftly, evacuating him from the danger zone and transporting him to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp for immediate medical attention, police officials said.

This region has become a battleground, with security forces and Maoists locked in a fierce encounter at Karregetta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.

Six Maoists were reportedly killed in the ongoing intermittent firing. Among them, the police have recovered the bodies of three female Maoists, along with a significant cache of weapons.

The operation spans a vast and challenging terrain, with security forces navigating dense jungles and rugged mountains for the past three to four days, the officials said.

The soldier was injured while advancing to encircle the Maoists, who have heavily fortified the area with IEDs as a defensive measure.

The police officers of Jalpaiguri district police, on Saturday, busted a major Indian Premier League (IPL) betting racket at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and have arrested two persons in this connection, police said.

The development took place just hours before the crucial IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Saturday evening.

The two persons arrested in this connection have been identified as Milan Sen (28) and Mrinmoy Sen (21).

They were operating from a cyber cafe located in the Senpara area of Jalpaiguri town.

Two smartphones, a personal computer, and a motorcycle have been seized from their possession.

Milan is also employed as a data entry operator at Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital.