NEW DELHI: At least 56 people lost their lives due to a deadly heat wave in India between March and May 2024, local media reported, citing data provided by the government.
According ReutersThe country has so far seen almost 25,000 cases of suspected heat stroke caused by the current heat wave.
The month of May turned out to be much worse for the region: temperatures in the Indian capital, New Delhi, as well as in the nearby state of Rajasthan, reached 50 degrees Celsius.
On the contrary, the eastern region of the country is suffering the effects of Cyclone Remal, while heavy rainfall in the northeastern state of Assam has claimed the lives of at least 14 people since last Tuesday.
In the island nation of Sri Lanka, at least 15 people have died due to flooding and landslides after heavy monsoon rains hit the region, the country's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said on Sunday.
A confluence of factors has led to a very hot summer in South Asia, a trend that scientists say has been worsened by human-driven climate change.
At least 33 people, including election officials on duty in India's just-concluded general election, died on Friday from suspected heatstroke in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north, and Odisha in the east.
Data from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) showed the situation was worse in May, with 46 heat-related deaths and 19,189 suspected cases of heatstroke, news website The Print reported.
Including suspected cases, the total number of deaths in India could be much higher: 80, The Hindu newspaper reported.
More than 5,000 cases of heat stroke were detected in the central state of Madhya Pradesh alone.
The weather office has forecast that heatwave conditions will be less severe until Wednesday and the early arrival of the monsoon in the southern state of Kerala last week is expected to bring further relief.
