India's heatwave

Heatwave claims over 1,100 across country; relief after monsoon hits around May 31

A man applies water to his face to cool himself on a hot summer afternoon. (AP Photo)

Hindustan Times,

26 May, 2015

An unrelenting heat wave has killed more than 1,100 people across the country over a fortnight with southern neighbours Andhra Pradesh and Telangana bearing the brunt, as torrid temperatures melted roads in the national capital and have forced people indoors.

Authorities said on Tuesday most of the victims were construction workers, the elderly or the homeless, as the weather office predicted the mercury will continue to soar this week with substantial relief expected only when the southwest monsoon hits the Indian mainland around May 31.

The death toll due to severe heat wave sweeping Andhra Pradesh has risen to 852 with the scorching weather claiming 202 lives in Prakasam district alone, officials said.

At least 266 deaths have been reported in Telangana where a maximum temperature of 44.5°C was recorded in Ramagundam city. Jangameswarapuram in Andhra was two notches higher at 46.4°C, though the absence of power cuts came as huge relief for residents of the two states who chose not to venture outside during the hottest part of the day. 

An auto rickshaw driver rests on a hot summer day in Hyderabad (Reuters Photo)

The meteorological department issued “red box” warnings for Odisha, Jharkhand and coastal Andhra Pradesh, signalling high chances of heatstroke, dehydration and fatality with temperatures inching upwards of 45°C and conditions worsened by constant dry, sweltering winds.

A sizzling sun baked large parts of Punjab and Haryana as maximum temperatures settled at a few notches above normal in most areas. Karnal in Haryana recorded 44°C, four degrees above normal, while searing heat swept Ludhiana in Punjab at 42.6°C.

As if the sweltering conditions were not enough, stifling humidity levels compounded the problem for people in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow, as the city recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5°C with relative humidity at 70%. Agra was the hottest part of the state with the mercury hitting 46.1°C.

The heat wave was mainly triggered by an abrupt end to pre-monsoon showers and missing storms. A brewing cyclonic weather pattern in the Arabian Sea two weeks ago lost steam quickly, while depressions, or rain-causing systems, in the Bay of Bengal headed off towards the northwest states which are getting plentiful rains.

Odisha continued to reel with Titlagarh in Balangir district clocking the highest temperature of 47.6°C, while authorities said they received reports of 67 deaths in the past week.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 45°C, marginally cooler than May 25 which was the season’s hottest day, though zebra crossings at some places melted under the glare of a scorching sun.

Sporadic rains cooled down the eastern state of Jharkhand as the maximum temperature dropped to a comfortable 35°C in capital Ranchi, while it also drizzled in parts of neighbouring West Bengal including its power centre, Kolkata.

Temperatures hovered between 41 and 45°C in Rajasthan, weather officials said, as streets and markets in major cities and towns wore a deserted look during peak hours.

People rest near a hoarding of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The blistering sun didn’t spare the Capital too, which recorded its hottest day of the season so far at 45.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. In Uttar Pradesh, temperatures hovered around the 45 degrees Celsius mark with Allahabad recording a high of 46.4 degrees. The met office predicted isolated dust storms and thunderstorms on Tuesday but said the heat wave would continue. (PTI Photo)

Officials recorded seven deaths in Gujarat’s capital Ahmedabad this month with the civic body issuing an “orange alert”, indicating a prolonged heat wave, expecting temperatures to shoot up to 43 to 45°C Celsius over the next seven days.

Authorities advised people to stay indoors and consume plenty of fluids and experts warned no let-up in the heat wave would lead to large-scale power outages in several parts of north India, bringing back memories of a horrific blackout in 2012 that affected nearly 600 million people.

(With inputs from PTI)

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A rickshaw-puller rests under the shade of an overhead bridge on a hot summer day in Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh recorded 76 deaths on Monday, even as the number of deaths due to heat stroke came down in Telangana. (AP Photo)

Maximum/minimum weather reached in each city on Tuesday