Parts of northern India have been scorched by extreme heat, and New Delhi is on high alert

NEW DELHI – Parts of northwest India burned under scorching temperatures on Saturday, with the capital New Delhi under a severe weather warning due to extreme temperatures in parts of the country.

India’s Meteorological Department expects the heat wave to continue in the north for the next few days and has put several states on high alert.

On Friday, parts of New Delhi reported temperatures as high as 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures also rose sharply in the nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and are expected to remain high in the next few days, said Soma Sen Roy, a scientist at the India Meteorological Department.

Roy warned people to avoid going outdoors in the afternoon sun, drinking plenty of water and wearing loose-fitting clothing, while particularly vulnerable people such as the elderly should stay indoors.

The extreme temperatures in northern India coincide with a six-week general election. Experts fear the heat wave could increase health risks as people wait in long lines to vote or candidates campaign aggressively outdoors. A minister fainted due to the heat while speaking at an election rally in Maharashtra state last month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress Party, are expected to hold rallies in New Delhi later on Saturday as the city goes to elections on May 25.

Satish Kumar, a 57-year-old rickshaw driver in the capital, said his work suffered from the heat. “People aren’t coming outside, the markets are almost empty,” he said.

Pravin Kamath, a 28-year-old who runs a cold drinks cart, complained that it was so hot that he could hardly bear to be outside. “But I have to work. What can I do? I’m poor, so I have to do it.”

The peak summer months of April, May and June are always hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat has increased over the past decade and is usually accompanied by severe water shortages, as tens of millions of India’s 1.4 billion people lack running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that studies the source of extreme heat, found that a scorching April heatwave that hit parts of Asia was made at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent by climate change.

Climate experts say extreme heat is becoming more common in South Asia during the pre-monsoon period and the study found that extreme temperatures in the region are now about 0.85°C (1.5°F) hotter due to climate change.

At least 28 heat-related deaths were reported in Bangladesh and five in India in April. An increase in heat deaths was also reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year, according to the study.

Extreme heat is rapidly becoming a public health crisis in India. Last year, more than 150 people died in heat waves. The government estimates that nearly 11,000 people have died in heatwaves this century, but experts say those numbers are likely far too low.