NAWABSHAH, May 3 Shaheed Benazirabad district remained in the grip of heatwave as mercury rose to 49 degree Celsius here on Monday amid 8-10 hours loadshedding in Nawabshah city and 10-12 hours power outages in rural areas.

A number of cases of sunstroke and gastroenteritis were reported at Peoples Medical College Hospital and private medical centres.

Munir Ahmed Leghari of local met office told Dawn that the maximum temperature recorded on Monday was 49 degree Celsius. It was the maximum temperature of Nawabshah recorded during the current summer, he said and added that it might rise in a few days.

Roads wore deserted look and business activities remained suspended because people preferred to remain indoors. Sale of ice and juices besides the demand of generators and converters increased in the hot weather.