Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




WEATHER REPORT
Deaths from major heatwave sweeping India top 1,100
By Vivek Nemana
Hyderabad, India (AFP) May 27, 2015


More than 1,100 people have died in a blistering heatwave sweeping India, authorities said Wednesday, as forecasters warned searing temperatures would continue.

Southern India has borne the brunt of the hot, dry conditions and many of the victims are construction workers, elderly or homeless people unable to heed official advice to stay indoors.

In the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh nearly 900 people have died since May 18 -- double the total number of heat-related deaths last summer, authorities said.

In neighbouring Telangana, where temperatures hit 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend, more than 200 people have died in the last week compared to 31 in the whole of last year.

In New Delhi, forecasters said they expected the high temperatures to continue into next week -- adding to the misery of the thousands of poor living on the capital's streets with little shelter from the hot sun.

Residents of Gurgaon -- a high-rise satellite city that is home to many of the capital's workers -- suffered power cuts of up to 10 hours a day as the electricity grid struggled to cope with the demand from millions of air conditioners.

"Nothing is working -- even after taking half a dozen baths a day, you can't beat the heat," 34-year-old shop owner Manish Singh told AFP in Gurgaon.

"We try to spend more time indoors to avoid heatstroke. It's worse than previous years -- we hardly get any electricity and the air conditioners become useless."

More than 9,700 people died between 2004 to 2013 due to heat strokes, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The NCRB shows in 2012 nearly 1,250 people died across India, while scorching temperatures killed more than 1,200 people the following year.

India's power industry has long struggled to meet rapidly rising demand in Asia's third-largest economy, which is plagued by poorly-maintained transmission lines and overloaded grids.

- No respite from heat -

The streets of Gurgaon were largely deserted on Wednesday, while the few people brave enough to venture outdoors covered their heads to protect them from the strong sun.

Sugarcane juice stalls were doing a brisk trade as construction workers and rickshaw pullers desperately tried to quench their thirst. Elsewhere volunteers were giving out cold drinks to motorists stuck in traffic.

Brahma Prakash Yadav, director of the Indian Meteorological Department, said top temperatures in the capital would remain around 45 degrees Celsius -- the national benchmark for a heatwave.

"Maximum temperatures won't fall substantially. However, major relief can be expected from June 2 as there are indications of good showers," he said.

Hospitals in the worst-affected states were on alert to treat victims of heatstroke and authorities advised people to stay indoors and drink plenty of water.

Hundreds of people -- mainly from the poorest sections of society -- die at the height of summer every year across India, while tens of thousands suffer power cuts from an overburdened electricity grid.

Forty-three were reported to have died in the eastern state of Orissa, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

Another 13 succumbed to the heat in neighbouring West Bengal, where unions urged drivers to stay off the roads during the day.

One person was killed in neighbouring Maharashtra, where authorities said they did not expect conditions to improve until the arrival of monsoon rains in June, while PTI reported that seven more died in adjacent Gujarat.

The Hindustan Times newspaper warned that some of the hot, dry conditions could plunge the worst-affected states into drought before monsoon rains arrive.

The monsoon is forecast to hit the southern state of Kerala towards the end of this month before sweeping across the country, but it will be weeks before the rains reach the arid plains.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Weather News at TerraDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








WEATHER REPORT
India heatwave kills 800 as capital's roads melt
Hyderabad, India (AFP) May 26, 2015
At least 800 people have died in a major heatwave that has swept across India, melting roads in New Delhi as temperatures neared 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). Hospitals were on alert to treat victims of heatstroke and authorities advised people to stay indoors, with no end in sight to the searing conditions. India's Meteorological Department said it had issued heat warnings to sev ... read more


WEATHER REPORT
NASA's LRO Moves Closer to the Lunar Surface

European Space Agency Director Wants to Set Up a Moon Base

Russia Invites China to Join in Creating Lunar Station

Japan to land first unmanned spacecraft on moon in 2018

WEATHER REPORT
UAE eyes "first Arab unmanned probe" to Mars by 2021

Rover Restored to Normal Operations After a Reset

Curiosity Rover Adjusts Route Up Martian Mountain

Flawed Debates begets false choices beyond LEO - Part Two

WEATHER REPORT
Like Sleeping Beauty, some research lies dormant for decades

Mission: "Space for all"

The Moon or Mars: Flawed Debate, False Choice - Part Two

NASA's CubeSat Initiative aids solar sail tests in space

WEATHER REPORT
China ranked 4th among world space powers

3D printer making Chinese space suit parts

Xinhua Insight: How China joins space club?

Chinese scientists mull power station in space

WEATHER REPORT
ISS Partners Adjust Spacecraft Schedule

Samantha's longer stay on ISS

Italian astronaut shows how to use restroom on ISS online

Russia delays return of ISS crew members after supply ship failure

WEATHER REPORT
DirecTV-15 and SKY Mexico-1 go for May 27 Ariane 5 heavy-lift

Initial Ariane 5 assembly completed for July launch of dual payloads

SpaceX cargo ship returns to Earth in ocean splashdown

Commission on Proton Rocket Failure to Finish Investigation by End of May

WEATHER REPORT
Weather forecasts for planets beyond our solar system

Astrophysicists offer proof that famous image shows forming planets

Astronomers detect drastic atmospheric change in super Earth

New exoplanet too big for its star

WEATHER REPORT
New computational technique advances color 3D printing process

Simulations predict flat liquid

Turn that defect upside down

India to test its home-made multi-object tracking radar next month




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.