The northern parts of the country continued to reel under the scorching sun today. Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan recorded maximum temperatures close to 45 degrees Celsius and above, even as rain brought the mercury down in Tamil Nadu. Bikaner in Rajasthan was the hottest place recording a high of 46.6 degree Celsius. Few places in the state like Ajmer, Jaipur and Chittorgarh, however, received light rain.<br/><br/>In Punjab and Haryana, Hisar once again sizzled at 45 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, braved a hot day at 41.4 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), meanwhile, said the heat wave is expected to spread over more parts of north and central India, including Delhi, in the next five days but the conditions are likely to gradually subside during the remaining part of the month.