A punishing heatwave continued to scorch parts of northwest and central India , with 22 locations recording a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius or above.
The extreme heat strained power grids and tested the endurance of millions across Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The India meteorological department said heatwave conditions will persist for at least two more days.
Starting June 15, light to moderate rainfall may ease temperatures slightly in affected regions.
The department said the monsoon, which regained momentum this week, is likely to cover most parts of northwest India, including Delhi, by June 25.
Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district recorded the highest temperature in the country this season so far at 49.4 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal. Other parts of the state also witnessed extreme heat, with Churu at 47.6 degrees Celsius, Jaisalmer at 46.9 degrees Celsius, Jodhpur at 46.3 degrees Celsius and Barmer at 46.2 degrees Celsius.
In Uttar Pradesh, Banda recorded 44.6 degrees Celsius, Jhansi 44.9 degrees Celsius and Agra 45.0 degrees Celsius. Haryana’s Sirsa touched 47.6 degrees Celsius, while Punjab’s Bathinda reported 46.0 degrees Celsius.
Madhya Pradesh also saw high temperatures. Khajuraho recorded 45.0 degrees Celsius, Narmadapuram 44.4 degrees Celsius and Gwalior 44.5 degrees Celsius.
In the national capital, temperatures ranged between 36 and 42 degrees Celsius. However, the heat index, which factors in humidity to reflect how hot it feels, touched 50.3 degrees Celsius. It was 52.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday and 51.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
India experienced a relatively cooler May this year due to the early arrival of the monsoon and frequent thunderstorms in the northwest and central regions. But a sharp drop in rainfall since early June has caused temperatures to rise rapidly, triggering widespread heatwave conditions since June 8-9.
Even parts of the hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir have been experiencing hotter-than-usual weather over the past few days.
