Extreme heat scorches parts of northern India.New Delhi on high alert

New Delhi –

Parts of northwestern India sweltered in scorching temperatures on Saturday, with the capital New Delhi under a severe weather warning as extreme temperatures hit parts of the country.

The India Meteorological Department has placed several states on high alert as it expects heatwave conditions to continue across the northern region for the next few days.

On Friday, parts of New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures also rose in neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Soma Sen Roy, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department, said temperatures are likely to remain high for the next few days.

Roy warned people not to go outside in the afternoon sun. He recommended drinking lots of water and wearing loose-fitting clothes. Especially vulnerable people, such as the elderly, should stay indoors, he said.

The extreme temperatures coincide with a six-week general election, with experts saying people waiting in long lines to vote and candidates actively campaigning outdoors. They are concerned that heatwaves could pose increased health risks. A cabinet minister fainted from the heat while addressing an election rally in Maharashtra last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party were expected to hold a rally in New Delhi late Saturday ahead of the May 25 vote.

Satish Kumar, 57, a rickshaw driver in the capital, said his work was being hampered by the heat. “People aren’t coming out. [markets] “It’s almost empty,” he said.

Pravin Kamath, 28, who runs a cart selling cold drinks, complained that it was unbearably hot to be outside. “But I have to work. What can I do? I’m poor, so I have to.”

In most parts of India, the main summer months (April, May, and June) are consistently hot, with monsoon rains bringing temperatures down. But the heat has become more intense over the past decade, usually accompanied by severe water shortages, leaving tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people without running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic organization that investigates the causes of extreme heat waves, suggests that the scorching heat waves that hit parts of Asia in April are caused by climate change in some parts of the continent. It turns out that you are at least 45 times more likely.

Climate experts say extreme heat has become more frequent in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season, with extreme temperatures in the region now about 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer due to climate change. It is said that this was found in a study.

At least 28 heat-related deaths were reported in Bangladesh in April, and five people died in India. Research shows that Thailand and the Philippines have also reported a sharp increase in heatstroke-related deaths this year.

Heat waves are fast becoming a public health crisis in India, where more than 150 people died in a heatwave last year. The government estimates that nearly 11,000 people have died from heatwaves this century, but experts say these numbers are likely a significant underestimate.