NEW DELHI (AP) — Parts of northwest India turned sweltering under scorching temperatures Saturday, while the capital New Delhi is under a severe weather warning as parts of the country are hit by extreme temperatures.
India’s weather department expects the heatwave to continue in the north in the coming days and has put several states on high alert.
On Friday, parts of New Delhi reported temperatures of up to 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit). Nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan also saw temperatures rise and are likely to remain high in the coming days, said Soma Sen Roy, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department.
Roy warned people not to go out in the midday sun, drink plenty of water and wear loose-fitting clothing, while those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly, should stay indoors.
The extreme temperatures in northern India coincide with the six-week general election, with experts concerned the heatwave could increase health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their votes or aggressively endorse candidates campaigning in the open air. One minister fainted from the heat last month while addressing an election rally in Maharashtra state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress Party, are expected to hold rallies in New Delhi later on Saturday as the city goes to the polls on May 25.
Satish Kumar, a 57-year-old rickshaw driver in the capital, said his work was affected by the heat. “People are not coming out, the markets are almost empty,” he said.
Pravin Kamath, a 28-year-old man who runs a cart selling cold drinks, complained that it was so hot he could hardly be outside. ‘But I have to work. What can I do? I’m poor, so I have to do it.”
The main summer months – April, May and June – are always warm in most parts of India, before the monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat has intensified over the past decade and is usually accompanied by severe water shortages, with tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people without running water.
A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that investigates the source of extreme heat, found that a scorching April heat wave that hit parts of Asia was made at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent by climate change.
Climate experts say extreme heat is becoming increasingly common in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season and the research shows that extreme temperatures are now about 0.85 C (1.5 F) hotter in the region due to climate change.
At least 28 heat-related deaths were reported in Bangladesh in April, as were five in India. According to the study, increases in heat-related deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year.
Extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India, with more than 150 people killed in heat waves last year. The government estimates that nearly 11,000 people have died in heat waves this century, but experts say such figures are likely a vast undercount.
