NEW DELHI — Parts of northwest India suffered scorching temperatures on Saturday, with the capital New Delhi under a severe weather alert as extreme temperatures hit some parts of the country.
India’s meteorological department expects heat wave conditions to persist across the north for the next few days and has put several states on high alert.
On Friday, parts of New Delhi recorded as high as 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit). The nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan also saw temperatures rise and are likely to remain high for the next few days, said Soma Sen Roy, a scientist at the India Meteorological Department.
Roy warned people not to go outdoors in the afternoon sun, drink plenty of water and wear loose clothing, while those who are especially vulnerable, such as the elderly, should stay indoors.
Extreme temperatures in northern India coincide with a six-week general election, and experts worry the heat wave could increase health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their votes or candidates. They campaign aggressively outdoors. A minister fainted due to heat last month while speaking at an election rally in the state of Maharashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as his main rival, Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress Party, are expected to hold rallies in New Delhi later on Saturday, as the city heads to the polls on May 25.
Satish Kumar, a 57-year-old rickshaw driver from the capital, said his work was being affected by the heat. “People don’t go out, (the markets) are almost empty,” he said.
Pravin Kamath, a 28-year-old who runs a cart selling cold drinks, complained that it was so hot that he could barely stand being outdoors. “But I have to work. What I can do? “I am poor and I have to do it.”
The main summer months (April, May and June) are always hot in most parts of India before the monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat has become more intense in the last decade and is often accompanied by severe water shortages: tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people lack running water.
A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that examines the source of extreme heat, found that a scorching heat wave in April that hit parts of Asia was at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent due to climate change.
Climate experts say extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent and the study found that extreme temperatures are now about 0.85 C (1.5 F) higher in the region due to climate change.
At least 28 heat-related deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in April, as well as five in India. According to the study, surges in heat deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year.
Extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India; Last year more than 150 people died during heat waves. The government estimates that nearly 11,000 people have died during heat waves this century, but experts say those numbers are likely a gross undercount.
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