India is witnessing a severe heatwave, with the temperature in places reaching 50 degree Celsius and Delhi enduring its hottest May day in nearly two decades.
The hot spell is projected to scorch the northern parts for several more days, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said late Tuesday, "with severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets".
Met officials said Churu in Rajasthan was the hottest place on record on Tuesday, at 50 degree Celsius, while parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh sweltered in the high 40s.
Parts of the capital, New Delhi, recorded the hottest May day in 18 years with the mercury hitting 47.6 Celsius.
No deaths have been reported so far this year, but last year the government said the heat had killed 3,500 people since 2015. There have been fewer fatalities in recent years.
The country suffers from severe water shortages with tens of millions lacking running water and no air conditioning in summers.
Parts of Delhi and elsewhere regularly see scuffles when tankers arrive to deliver water. Last year Chennai in Tamil Nadu made international headlines when it ran out of water entirely.
The heatwave adds to problems the people already have dealing with the spread of coronavirus.
India now has the 10th highest number of coronavirus cases globally, climbing above 150,000 today with almost 4,500 deaths.
Last week cyclone Amphan killed more than 100 people in India and Bangladesh, flattening villages, destroying farms and leaving millions without power.
Huge swarms of desert locusts, meanwhile, have destroyed nearly 50,000 hectares (125,000 acres) of crops across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and may enter Delhi in coming days.
Assam and Meghalaya are also currently experiencing floods, with more heavy rainfall forecast in the coming days.
