At least 65 people have died as a result of the heat wave that has parts of India scorching. Of these, 35 lost their lives in Telangana, while 30 reportedly died of sunstroke in Odisha, an official report released on Thursday said. In Delhi, too, the temperature soared to 41 degrees Celsius, four notches higher than normal for this time of the year, PTI reported. The minimum temperature in the national capital was also “three notches above the season’s average”, a meteorological department official said.
Several parts of the country are in the grip of the heat wave, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Marathwada, Vidarbha and isolated regions of Karnataka. Telangana is likely to continue to experience dry weather over the next few days, with temperatures expected to remain between 42 and 45 degree Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said in a statement. The department predicted a similar forecast for districts of South Bengal, too, for the next couple of days – the temperature in Bankura district shot up to 43.6 degree Celsius, while state capital Kolkata was oppressive at 40 degrees.
According to private agency Skymet Weather Services, several places have been witnessing temperatures about the 40-degree mark. While Titlagarh in Odisha recorded 45 degree Celsius and Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh 4 degrees Celsius, Hyderabad sizzled at 43 degree Celsius, the highest ever in 43 years, it said.
In Tamil Nadu, the Kanchipuram collector has issued warning asking people not to venture out between noon to 3 pm owing to the heat wave-like conditions. The met department has said South Chennai and Kanchipuram will face spurt in temperature for the next few days.
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