PRAYAGRAJ, May 18 -- Sangam city is heading towards another spell of intense heat with weather experts warning of a sharp rise in temperatures in coming days. According to experts, the maximum temperature here is likely to cross the 46-degree mark. Residents are likely to face scorching afternoons coupled with strong hot winds, they say. The city has witnessed extreme heat conditions between mid-April and mid-May, with temperatures consistently soaring. The highest temperature recorded this summer was 45.7 degrees Celsius on April 26, making Prayagraj the second hottest city in Uttar Pradesh that day after Banda, which recorded 46.6 degrees Celsius. Data show multiple days of extreme heat in the city. On April 25, Prayagraj was the hottest place in the state at 45.2 degrees Celsius, followed by 44.6 degrees on April 20, 44.4 degrees on April 24, 44 degrees on May 16 and 43.7 degrees Celsius on April 23. Prof BN Mishra, weather expert and former head of geography department at Allahabad University, attributed it to the weakening of the Western Disturbance-a temperate cyclone-which has led to a steady increase in mercury levels. He said temperatures in Prayagraj may cross 46 degrees Celsius, while parts of Bundelkhand could experience even more enervating heat conditions with mercury levels reaching 47-48 degrees Celsius. "As of now, the temperate cyclone is positioned along the southern side of the Himalayas, which is blocking moisture-bearing winds from the Bay of Bengal and delaying the monsoon," Prof Mishra said. "Normally, Western Disturbances are active between November and April, but due to global warming, their influence has extended to May," he added. He further said once the system shifts northward, favourable conditions for the arrival of monsoon winds will develop, with the monsoon expected to reach the region by June third week....