Chandigarh, May 18 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday declared heatwave in the city as the maximum temperature shot up from 41.9degC on Thursday to 44.5degC on Friday.

This is the highest that the maximum temperature has gone since at least 2002, as per IMD records.

At 44.5degC, the maximum temperature was 5.6 degrees above normal. The overall highest temperature recorded in the month of May in Chandigarh was in 1988, when it had climbed to 46.5degC on May 28.

It wasn't available whether the maximum temperature has breached the 44.5degC mark in the month of May since then.

A heatwave is declared for this region when the maximum temperature goes beyond 40degC and simultaneously rises at least 4.5degC above normal, o...