At least 16 people have died in southern India, officials said Sunday, as a severe heat wave sweeps across large parts of the country amid official health warnings.
India often experiences extremely hot summers, but scientific research conducted over the years has shown that climate change is making heat waves longer, more frequent, and more intense.
Temperatures have recently exceeded 45 degrees Celsius in many cities of this South Asian country of 1.4 billion people.
The deaths were recorded in the southern state of Telangana, prompting Revenue Minister Pongoleti Srinivasa Reddy to call for a “state-wide alert” to protect public health.
Reddy’s office said in a statement that “heat intensity has reached unprecedented levels,” stressing the need for state officials to issue advance warnings about precautionary measures to be taken during heat waves.
Health experts point out that extreme heat can lead to dehydration, which in turn causes an increase in blood viscosity, and in severe cases, to organ failure, according to news reports.
The local government in Telangana advised the elderly, children, and pregnant women not to go out during the day except in cases of extreme necessity.
Earlier in the week, the Indian Meteorological Department had predicted above-average temperatures and severe heat waves in several parts of the country.
In addition to the scorching heat during the day, the minimum temperatures at night also remain high.
India, the world’s most populous country, is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases and relies heavily on coal for power generation.
New Delhi has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2070, which is two decades later than most industrialized Western countries.
The highest temperature officially recorded in India was 51 degrees Celsius, and it was recorded in the Phalodi district of Rajasthan in 2016.
