India temperature surpasses 50 deg C as brutal heat waves grip nation

India

The maximum temperature in India breached the critical threshold of 50°C for the first time this summer, coming close to the all-time high  as deadly heat waves sweep across several states.

On Tuesday, the mercury hit a scorching 50.5°C in Churu, a city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, according to the India Meteorological Department. This figure is just shy of the national record of 51°C, set in May 2016 in Phalodi, in the same region.

Climate change has intensified extreme weather events in India, with the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, and cyclones increasing annually. 
This is not an isolated phenomenon; the world saw its 11th consecutive month of record-breaking heat in April, with Asia experiencing unprecedented warmth and a hotter-than-usual summer forecasted for Europe. 

Delhi’s Aya Nagar recorded an all-time high of 47.6C for the center, while Mungeshpur automatic weather station, which was set up some years ago, saw 49.9C, the IMD said. The maximum temperatures in several areas are expected to rise by as much as 5C in the next few days, it said. 

Authorities are advising people to avoid exposure to the blazing sun, stay hydrated and wear light-colored clothes. India reportedly recorded 16,000 cases of heat stroke — a medical condition when the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down — and 60 deaths since March 1.