Residents and children fill water from tankers at Vivekananda Camp Chanakyapuri in New Delhi on May 31, 2024, amid the summer water crisis.
Sonu Mehta | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
A sweltering heat wave in eastern India has killed at least 14 people, including 10 election officials, officials said on Friday, with temperatures soaring to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in parts of the country this week.
A week-long heat wave has forced school closures in many places and increased the risk of heat stroke for outdoor workers.
The Bihar government said in a statement that 14 people had died in the state, including five in Bhojpur and three in Rohtas district, with daytime temperatures rising to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).
As the heat wave hits, hundreds of millions of Indians are voting. six weeks general election, increasing health risks as they wait in long lines to vote. The seventh and final round of voting will take place on Saturday.
Counting will take place on June 4.
On a hot day in New Delhi on May 25, 2024, during the sixth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha election, voters queued up under temporary awnings at the polling station.
Raj K. Raj | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
Hot temperatures can also take a toll on animals, putting them at risk of dehydration and heatstroke.
April, May and June are always hot in most parts of India before the monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But extreme heat is quickly becoming India’s public health crisisWarmer weather has become more intense over the past decade, causing severe water shortages.
A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that studies the sources of extreme heat, found that the scorching heat wave that hit parts of Asia in April was caused by at least 45 times more likely Some areas of the African continent are affected by climate change.
Extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent, climate experts say. The study found that extreme temperatures in the region are now about 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) higher due to global warming.
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