India’s ‘unbearable’ heatwave hits 47 degrees, sparking health emergency alerts
The severe heatwave has also led to soaring energy demand, which has strained power grids
A blistering heat wave is sweeping across northern India, with temperatures soaring above the normal, disrupting daily life and raising health concerns.
The mercury shot up to 47.3 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sri Ganganagar, a desert city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan on Monday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
The record for the country is 51 degrees, set in May 2016 in Rajasthan’s city of Phalodi.
The searing heat is not just a seasonal discomfort but underscores a growing challenge for the country’s overwhelmed health infrastructure. A prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures often causes heat strokes, mainly impacting the poor, outdoor workers, children, and the elderly.
Last year, a monthslong heatwave across swathes of India killed more than 100 people and led to more than 40,000 suspected cases of heat stroke, according to data from the health ministry.
The Indian capital, New Delhi, saw its first heatwave of the season, with temperatures soaring past 45 degrees in one of its neighbourhoods on Monday. The swelter wasn’t just numerical as the real-feel temperature, the heat index factoring in relative humidity, was a couple of notches higher.