Akola district in Maharashtra on Thursday emerged as the hottest place in state, recording a scorching maximum temperature of 44.2 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded anywhere in the country so far this year.

According to the latest data released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Akola and Amravati both touched 44.2 degrees Celsius on April 16, marking a sharp spike in the ongoing heatwave across Vidarbha.