Heat siege across India, 16 die in Telangana

LIGHT RAIN, STRONG WINDS, LITTLE RELIEF FOR DELHI

- MPOST BUREAU

Blistering heat and scorching summer winds swept across several parts of India on Saturday, pushing temperatures past 44 degrees Celsius in several regions.

The punishing weather forced hospitals in Punjab to operationalise heat stroke management units, while the IMD issued a heatwave alert for three districts of Jharkhand for Monday.

The extreme conditions have begun to strain not just people, but also animals and birds, with veterinarians and animal rescuers in Delhi reporting exhausted pigeons dropping unconscious from the sky, dehydrated eagles being picked up from roadsides, and street animals suffering from stomach toxicity amid the capital’s relentless heatwave.

Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said 16 people have died in seven districts of the state due to heatwave conditions prevailing in the state during the current summer.

He directed officials to identify villages recording very high temperatures, issue heat alerts to such villages and ensure availability of drinking water, buttermilk, and ORS packets at public places and work sites.

In Rajasthan, Chittorgarh emerged as the hottest place in the state in the last 24 hours at 44.2 degrees Celsius, as the meteorological department warned that temperatures were likely to rise further from Sunday, with severe heatwave conditions expected in isolated pockets.

According to the weather department, the weather in most parts of the state is likely to remain dry over the next week, and the temperatures are likely to rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius from Sunday.

In the last 24 hours, the weather remained largely dry across Rajasthan.