The weather department attributed the unusual heat to the lack of rainfall due to the absence of active western disturbances over north India and any major system over south India. The country as a whole recorded a rainfall of 8.9 mm, which was 71 per cent less than its long period average rainfall of 30.4 mm. It was also the third-lowest precipitation in March since 1901 after 7.2 mm in 1909 and 8.7 mm in 1908.

Brazil’s Lula postpones trip to China because of pneumonia
Brazil’s presidential palace says that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has indefinitely postponed his trip to China after contracting pneumonia RIO