At least 56 people lost their lives due to a deadly heatwave in India from March to May 2024.
According to Reuters, the country has seen nearly 25,000 cases of suspected heat stroke triggered by the ongoing heatwave.
May was particularly severe, with temperatures in New Delhi and Rajasthan reaching 50 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, eastern India is suffering from the impact of cyclone Remal. Heavy rainfall in Assam has claimed at least 14 lives in a week. In Sri Lanka, at least 15 people have died from flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains.
A confluence of factors has led to a very hot summer in South Asia, a trend scientists attribute to human-driven climate change.
At least 33 people, including election officials on duty, died of suspected heatstroke in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha on Friday.
Data from the National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) showed that May was the worst month, with 46 heat-related deaths and 19,189 suspected heat stroke cases. Almost 5,000 cases of heatstroke are detected in Madhya Pradesh alone.
The weather office predicts that heatwave conditions will be less severe until Wednesday. The early arrival of the monsoon in Kerala last week is expected to bring more relief.
