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Parts of northern and central India are sweltering under a severe heatwave, with a provisional record temperature of 52.3C (126.1F) registered in Delhi. More than 37 cities in the country recorded temperatures over 45C this week. Warnings of heat-related illnesses have been issued, with at least three deaths reported so far. The city's authorities have warned they will issue fines to those caught wasting water as the city deals with shortages and supplies have been cut to some areas.
Water minister Atishi announced that 200 teams would be deployed to crack down on people washing their cars with hosepipes and letting their tanks overflow. The city's power demand has soared to an all-time high, with residents turning to air conditioning, coolers and ceiling fans to cope with the heat. A consumer court stopped hearing cases on Tuesday after the judge said it was too hot to work without air conditioning.Red alerts have been issued for several parts of India's north-west, including
Delhi - meaning there is a very high likelihood of people developing heat illness and heat stroke. Delhi's lieutenant governor has ordered that workers at construction sites be given a three-hour paid break and asked for water to be provided to them. He has also asked for pots with drinking water to be provided at bus stands. IMD regional head Kuldeep Srivastava said the reason behind the rising temperatures in Delhi was the arrival of hot winds from the state of Rajasthan.
Rajasthan's Jaipur city reported three deaths due to heat stroke on Tuesday. Several students were rushed to hospital in the town of Sheikhpura in the eastern state of Bihar after fainting due to the high temperatures. In Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, efforts are continuing in to tackle a number of forest fires that are being fuelled by the heat.
According to IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, northwestern India is expected to see heatwave conditions for four to six days. Indian summers, which extend from March to September, are usually hot and humid. But the weather department has said the country is likely to experience longer
and more intense heatwaves this year.
This month, the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat saw nine to 12 days of heatwave, with temperatures between 45-50C, it said. Scientists have said global warming has made extreme heatwaves in India much more likely.
