The weather office on Tuesday forecast heatwave conditions in southern districts of West Bengal till April 20 with day temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius in the region.

The Meteorological department advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure and outside work from 11 am to 4 pm of the day.

Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district recorded Monday's highest day temperature at 42.7 deg C.

The other places, which recorded above 40 deg C day temperatures, are Bankura (41.5), Medinipore (41.6), Asansol (40.2) and Barrackpore (40.2).

The Met, in its forecast till April 20, said that heatwave conditions will prevail at one or two places in South and North 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, Jhargram, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Bankura districts, while hot and discomforting weather will prevail over the rest of south Bengal.

It said that day temperature is expected to be above normal by three to five deg C in south Bengal during the next five days.

Hectic electioneering is, however, continuing by various political parties and the contestants to woo voters despite the scorching heat and discomforting weather, with the first of the seven-phase elections for the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal to be held on April 19.

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