Large parts of India endure relentless heatwave with temperatures nearing 50 deg Celsius in Rajasthan

New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) A punishing heatwave continued to scorch parts of northwest and central India on Friday, with 22 locations recording a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius or above.

The extreme heat strained power grids and tested the endurance of millions across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heatwave conditions will persist for at least two more days. Starting June 15, light to moderate rainfall may ease temperatures slightly in affected regions.

The department said the monsoon, which regained momentum this week, is likely to cover most parts of northwest India, including Delhi, by June 25.

Rajasthan's Ganganagar district recorded the highest temperature in the country this season so far at 49.4 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal. Other parts of the state also witnessed extreme heat, with Churu at 47.6 degrees Celsius, Jaisalmer at 46.9 degrees Celsius, Jodhpur at 46.3 degrees Celsius and Barmer at 46.2 degrees Celsius.

In Uttar Pradesh, Banda recorded 44.6 degrees Celsius, Jhansi 44.9 degrees Celsius and Agra 45.0 degrees Celsius. Haryana's Sirsa touched 47.6 degrees Celsius, while Punjab's Bathinda reported 46.0 degrees Celsius.

Madhya Pradesh also saw high temperatures. Khajuraho recorded 45.0 degrees Celsius, Narmadapuram 44.4 degrees Celsius and Gwalior 44.5 degrees Celsius.

In the national capital, temperatures ranged between 36 and 42 degrees Celsius. However, the heat index, which factors in humidity to reflect how hot it feels, touched 50.3 degrees Celsius. It was 52.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday and 51.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

India experienced a relatively cooler May this year due to the early arrival of the monsoon and frequent thunderstorms in the northwest and central regions. But a sharp drop in rainfall since early June has caused temperatures to rise rapidly, triggering widespread heatwave conditions since June 8-9.

Even parts of the hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir have been experiencing hotter-than-usual weather over the past few days.

According to the IMD's extended range forecast, the monsoon is now likely to cover the remaining parts of central and eastern India and some areas of northwest India by June 18.

It is expected to advance over most of northwest India between June 19 and June 25.

An IMD official said the system is likely to reach Delhi by June 22 23, ahead of the normal onset date of June 30.

The southwest monsoon usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1, reaches Mumbai by June 11 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.

Severe and frequent heatwaves are making life harder for low-income households with limited access to water and cooling.

Experts warn that outdoor workers, the elderly, and children are at high risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued guidelines for states to protect informal workers during heatwaves.

It said that with rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, workers in the informal sector, who make up over 80 per cent of India's urban workforce, are among the most exposed.

The NDMA asked states to identify vulnerable groups and prioritise them in heat action plans. It recommended promoting flexible working hours, providing drinking water, shaded rest areas and ensuring early heatwave warnings are shared in simple language through SMS and WhatsApp groups.

Last year, hospitals in India reported nearly 48,000 cases of heatstroke and 159 deaths due to extreme heat.

Between 2015 and 2022, 8,171 people died due to extreme heat outside hospitals, according to National Crime Records Bureau data. Health Ministry records accessed by PTI show that 3,812 heat-related deaths occurred in hospitals during the same period.

However, experts say India's fragmented death reporting system and difficulties in directly linking deaths to heat exposure mean the actual toll is likely much higher. PTI GVS ZMN