India scorched by heatwave by Sean Batty
Northern India has been feeling the heat over the last couple of days as temperatures have climbed well above the seasonal average, which is around 30C (86F).
Temperatures soared across the northern states on Saturday, with temperatures hovering between 31C and 43C across many parts of the Uttar Pradesh state. Jhansi was the warmest part of the state, where temperatures peaked at a scorching 46C (115F) on Saturday afternoon.
The capital city, New Delhi, had its hottest day of the season so far with temperatures peaking at 44C (111F).
The neighbouring state of Rajashtan topped the temperature league yesterday, with the town of Ganganagar reaching an unbearable 48C (118F).
Dozens of people have been killed and many hospitalised due to the effects of the heat and the sun.
The heat has added to mounting pressure on the government to sort out the countries current problems with regular power cuts and severe water shortages. In light of these problems the government took the decision to shut marketplaces early to preserve resources and relieve the national grid of excessive demand.
The weather is expected to stay hot over the next week, with temperatures remaining well into the 40’s Celsius.
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