The death toll due to the unprecedented heatwave in India has soared to nearly 1,100 people on Wednesday, May 27. According to the reports over 852 deaths have been reported in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana alon e.
There was no respite in the heatwave with the Meteorological Department warning that severe heatwave conditions are expected to continue in the two worst-hit southern states.
There have been reports of a few roads in Delhi melting and forecasters said they expected the high temperatures to continue next week.
As per Brahma Prakash Yadav, Director of Indian Meteorological Department, temperatures in the capital would remain around 45 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
“Maximum temperatures won’t fall substantially. However, major relief can be expected from June 2 as there are indications of good showers,” he said.
Hospitals in these worst affected states have been instructed to treat the patients as soon as possible.
Authorities in the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India, where nearly 900 people have died since May 18, called for emergency water distribution areas to be set up.
However, P. Tulsi Rani, Special Commissioner for disaster management in the state, said meteorologists were forecasting a dip in temperatures in the coming days.
In the neighbouring state of Telangana, where temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius over the weekend, more than 200 people died last week.
11 people were confirmed to have died in the western state of Orissa and another 13 succumbed due to the scorching heat in the eastern state of West Bengal, where unions urged drivers to stay off the roads during the day.
Source: Reuters
However, the irritating power cuts have added woes into the lives of people in these hot summers. Gurgaon being one of the most popular satellite city of northern India, is suffering from 10-hours long power cuts every day.
(With inputs from AFP, PTI and Reuters)