Hovering at a killing high of 80-90per cent. Why it's worse is because there are no sheltering clouds to protect the city from the solar assault. So the direct rays of the sun coupled with cloudless, clear skies and high humidity continues to play havoc.

Meanwhile,deprived of the cool perks of high office, the aam janta turned the smallest situations into great equalisers. There's the story of this dehydrated senior publicity official who sneaked into the air-conditioned comfort of a minister's cabin in Mantralaya today. ``I rushed into the minister's office when I got a call and tried to stay there for as long as possible,'' confessed the official, who was reeling under the heat wave. The politicos, lawyers and respondents who crowded into the stuffy room where the Gundewar commission hearing was in progress at the Mumbai High Court were not as lucky. The combination of the fans and air conditioners failed to dent the summer heat.

Short sleeves were in with a vengeance except for traffic cops who patiently sweltered in their long sleeves and woollen caps. The young at heart drooled over the `Dooba Dooba' music video, shot entirely underwater, even as the old timers harked back to the days when the city always kept cool. The Cola wars continue unabatedin the streets and railway stations of Mumbai with thirsty masses more concerned with quaffing their thirst than worrying about brand loyalties.

The normally packed Marine Drive promenade was empty throughout the day even as vegetable vendors could be seen packing their wares quite early in the day. ``The heat spoils vegetables,'' informed one vendor before bundling up his greens. But it wasn't just the nimbupaniwalas and the soft drink hawkers who cashed in on the heat. Vendors at Mumbai's roadside cloth stalls at Fashion Street did roaring business selling cottons to sweaty shoppers filing past.