LAHORE – Plains of the country including the City remained in the grip of severe heat wave on Monday with experts predicting the prevailing conditions to persist during the next 24 hours. Experts have forecast partly cloudy weather with chances of dust-thunderstorm for the City during evening/ night which means some respite from the prevailing harsh conditions. On Monday, Sargodha remained the hottest place in the province where mercury rose as high as 47 degree Celsius. Maximum and minimum temperature in Lahore was recorded 44 C and 30 C respectively. Relative humidity in the evening was recorded 23 per cent. People avoided unnecessarily coming out of houses at noon and in the afternoon, decreasing traffic on otherwise busy arteries. Lahore canal as usual attracted huge number of people including women and children. Not only youth, but also elderly people were seen bathing in canal water. At certain places, even women were seen beating the heat by taking a dip in the mud colour canal water. According to the experts, seasonal low lies over Balochistan and adjoining areas with its trough extending southeast wards.Local meteorological department has forecast mainly hot and dry weather for most parts of the country. However isolated thunderstorm\rain is likely in Malakand division Kashmir/Gilgit-Baltistan.