A fierce heat wave has swept across large parts of northern India, emptying roads and markets in the hottest hours of the day and forcing some farmers to work at night as temperatures climb far above seasonal averages, reports AP.
The India Meteorological Department forecast maximum temperatures of around 45 degrees Celsius in New Delhi on Thursday, while authorities opened temporary “cooling zones” in the capital to help residents, workers and tourists cope with the scorching conditions.
The weather department warned that the severe heat was likely to continue across several northern regions in the coming days.
Authorities urged people to remain indoors during the hottest part of the day and take precautions against heat-related illnesses.
India declares a heat wave when temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius in the plains and reach 30 degrees Celsius or more in hilly regions.
The extreme conditions have disrupted daily life across several northern states.
In parts of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, roads and markets have fallen quiet in the afternoon as residents stayed indoors and some traders shifted business to the early morning.
Farmers have also begun working at night because daytime conditions have become unbearable.
Schools have been hit by the heat, with authorities in several areas announcing early summer holidays and suspending classes after the maximum temperature reached 48.2 degrees Celsius in Banda city on Tuesday.
Health officials advised people to avoid going outside during peak afternoon hours, drink enough water and seek medical help if they experience dizziness or high fever.
In New Delhi, residents and tourists took shelter inside cooling centres set up across the capital.
The shaded spaces are equipped with air coolers, fans, drinking water and oral rehydration solutions to offer relief from the extreme heat.
Inside one tent on Wednesday, people rested beside air coolers while officials distributed cups of water mixed with rehydration salts.
“We had come here for outing. But it is too hot here. The cooling system here is good for us,” said 25-year-old tourist Basharat Ahmad Malla.
Climate experts say India’s rising temperatures reflect a wider global pattern driven by climate change.
India has faced more frequent and intense heat waves in recent years, with all of its warmest years on record occurring in the last decade.
“India has warmed considerably as a result of anthropogenic (human-made) climate change in the last decade compared to previous years.
Northwestern India has warmed much faster than many other parts of the country,” said Anjal Prakash, an author of several United Nations climate reports and professor of public policy at Pune-based Flame University.
Prakash said India was used to summer heat but “climate change is loading the dice towards extreme and pervasive episodes like those we see now.”
Public health studies found that up to 1,116 people died every year between 2008 and 2019 because of heat.
Experts say the real toll is likely to run into the thousands, as heat is often not recorded on death certificates and many related deaths are not included in official figures.
