Residents try to beat the heat in Bokaro on Wednesday. Picture by Pankaj Singh

Bokaro, June 8: For the people of Bokaro, rain clouds hovering over the city this afternoon only flattered to deceive.

After a few showers at the start of May, the steel city has been coming to terms with a grimy spell of heat, combined with unusually high levels of humidity for the last 10 days.

A temperature chart issued by the Bokaro Steel Limited shows that although the maximum temperature hadn’t gone beyond 41.7°C, recorded on Monday, extreme humidity throughout the period left people sweating heavily.

The maximum humidity of 87 per cent was recorded on Friday during the period that has been characterised by lack of pre-monsoon showers.

Botanist and retired professor Dr R.K. Sinha told The Telegraph that the mercury did not shoot up in Bokaro this summer, but humidity levels were higher than normal.

“The mercury normally gets close to 46°C, which was the case for about a week last summer and in 2007 and 2009, despite low humidity.”

He added that seven to eight years earlier, sunny mornings in Bokaro often preceded a few showers in the afternoon. “But now, rainfall rarely hits the city in the noon. This is a big change in recent times,” explained Dr Sinha.

Bokaro civil surgeon Mithilesh Kumar said a number of dehydration cases were reported of late in hospitals at Chas, Chandankiyari, Bermo, and Nawadih because of the unpleasant weather.

S.P. Singh, who recorded the mercury chart for Bokaro Steel, agreed that humidity was to be blamed for the uneasy weather. But, monsoon showers, expected in a couple of days, would come as big relief for everyone, he added.