1300 people died in India due to severe heat wave

The death toll in the heatwave sweeping India has passed 1, 300, with temperatures nearing 50°C (122F) in several areas.

Most deaths have taken place in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where at least 1,118 people have died since last week.

 

The heat wave in Andhra Pradesh since May 13 has claimed 551 lives till Tuesday.  Confirming the toll, state’s home minister Chinna Rajappa said that Guntur district bore the brunt of the scorching sun with 104 deaths, followed by East Godavari (90), Vizag (84) Vizianagaram (61), Prakasam (57) and Nellore (39). Following are the temperatures recorded in different parts of AP and Telangana: Vijayawada 46 degrees Celsius, Guntur 44, Nandigama 44, Machilipatnam 44, Khammam 43, Kakinada 43, Karimnagar 42, Hyderabad 42, Tuni 41 and Tirupati 40.

 

At least 24 people have died from the heat in West Bengal and Orissa, according to officials.

Hospitals are on alert to treat heatstroke patients and authorities have advised people to stay indoors.

In the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh, where temperatures climbed to 47 °C on Monday, 852 people have died.

“We have also requested NGOs and government organisations to open up drinking water camps so that water will be readily available for all the people in the towns,” officials added.

In neighbouring Telangana state, 266 people have died in the last week as temperatures hit 48°C (118°F) over the weekend.

The weather is likely to cool further when the summer monsoon begins at the end of the month.

• Longer, more severe heatwaves are increasingly frequent globally, as intense heat can cause
• cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Thousands of people died across India during heatwaves in 2002 and 2003