LUCKNOW, April 18 -- For the second consecutive day, Banda was the hottest in the country with maximum temperatures breaching the 45degC mark on Friday. District Banda recorded the highest temperature of the season so far at 45.4degC on Friday which is 4.9 degrees above normal, data from the IMD read. On Thursday, the district recorded a day temperature at 44.4degC. The maximum and minimum temperatures in Lucknow were 39.8 and 21.5degC, respectively. The forecast for Saturday is clear sky. The maximum and minimum temperature will be around 41 and 22degC, respectively. In Prayagraj, the maximum temperature rose to 44degC. Last year, the hottest day in this district was 44.8degC that was recorded on April 26. "With the persistence of dry westerly winds blowing across the state and the influence of an anticyclone situated over interior Maharashtra, a rise in temperatures is anticipated," said Atul Kumar Singh, a senior scientist at Lucknow Met office. Despite light rainfall in the northwestern part of the state-triggered by the influence of a Western Disturbance-weather conditions remained dry in other parts of state, he said. The day temperature in Jhansi was 43.2degC, Agra and Hamirpur 42.2degC, Varanasi BHU 41.6degC, Ayodhya and Sultanpur 41degC, Fursatganj 40.9degC, Orai 40.6degC, Hardoi, Varanasi (AP) 40.5degC, Aligarh 40.4degC, Kanpur City 40degChtc...