weather
Heat in parts of India: Hottest April in 122 years
A man cools off in a public water hole. Photo: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Extreme heat is not uncommon in large parts of India. But this year, the high temperatures hit many regions earlier than usual.
In India, millions of residents are currently suffering from an early heat wave with temperatures sometimes exceeding 45 degrees Celsius.
Northwest and central India experienced the hottest April since weather records began 122 years ago, weather service chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Saturday.
In more than two dozen locations, the agency reported high temperatures of more than 45 degrees on Friday, with Banda in the northern state of Pradesh being the hottest place in the country at 47.4 degrees.
Not over the hill yet
The heatwave could intensify in the coming days, and temperatures could surpass 50 degrees Celsius in the north, Mohapatra warned. May is usually the hottest month of the year.
There are also problems with the power supply in several states, as reported by local media. The trigger is increased electricity consumption, which has led to a shortage of coal. Intermittent power outages and water shortages occurred in many regions, including Delhi. To bridge the bottleneck, the authorities used additional trains to transport coal to the affected regions.
Earlier than usual
Such heat is generally not unusual in South Asia. But it is currently hitting the region much earlier than usual, where such high temperatures are often only reached in May and June.