In India, millions of residents are currently suffering from an early heat wave, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. Northwestern and central India had the hottest April since weather records began 122 years ago, weather service chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Saturday.
At more than two dozen locations, the agency reported high temperatures of over 45 degrees on Friday, with Banda in the northern state of Pradesh being the hottest spot in the country at 47.4 degrees. The heat wave could intensify in the coming days and temperatures could exceed 50 degrees Celsius in the north, warned Mohapatra. May is usually the hottest month of the year.
There are also problems with the power supply in several states, as reported by local media. The trigger is the increase in electricity consumption, which has led to coal shortages. Intermittent power outages and water shortages occurred in many regions, including Delhi. To overcome the bottleneck, authorities used additional trains to transport coal to the affected regions.
Such heat is generally not uncommon in South Asia. But it is currently hitting the region much earlier than usual, where such high temperatures are usually only reached in May and June. (pa/dpa)