Heatstroke claims 61 lives this summer; Orange alert for heatwaves over Delhi, Punjab, UP

Moreover, the number of heatwave days increased by a whopping 125 percent in May, which is a record increase compared to the norm. Just last week, at least 61 deaths from suspected heat stroke were confirmed in several states. Among the fatalities were even 23 poll workers involved in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Impact on individual states

Bihar: Heatwaves claimed 14 lives, including 10 poll workers. Five deaths were reported from Bhojpur and the rest from Rohtas, Kaimur and Aurangabad districts.

Uttar Pradesh: In Mirzapur district, 13 people died, suspected of heat stroke. The victims included seven Home Guard soldiers, three cleaners, a clerk in the chief medical officer’s office, a Chakbandi Adhikaari (consolidation officer) and a Home Guard peon.

India: At least four heat-related deaths have been confirmed.

India: 26 deaths were recorded, five of them from sunstroke, the rest have yet to be officially announced. Many of the victims were truck drivers, who were probably affected by the heat from the metal bodies combined with high temperatures and dehydration.

Jharkhand: Four people died from sunstroke and 1,326 others had to be hospitalized due to the scorching heat.

Cooling trend on the horizon

In Delhi, thunderstorms with rain are forecast for June 3 and 4. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be 45 °C and 30 °C respectively.

Meanwhile, maximum temperatures have already dropped by 3-4 °C in eastern Madhya Pradesh, by 2-3 °C in interior Odisha, Vidarbha and Punjab, and by 1-2 °C in Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, western Madhya Pradesh and eastern Rajasthan.

Despite this drop in temperature, temperatures in parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha will still be in the range of 43-45°C this week. Accordingly, the IMD has issued an orange alert (which means ‘be prepared’) as there is a chance of heatwaves in Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and eastern Madhya Pradesh on June 3 and in western Uttar Pradesh from June 3 to 5. Thereafter, thunderstorms and lightning are expected.

Further impacts

Increasing heat waves around the world are being attributed to climate change. A recent study by nonprofits found that the average population was exposed to 26 more days of unusually high temperatures than usual last year due to human-caused climate change. The report found that 6.3 billion people, about 80% of the world’s population, were exposed to at least 31 days of extreme heat in the past 12 months.

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