It isn’t abnormal for India to be hot, but within the last week the temperatures have been surpassing what is normal for this time of year. The heat wave, that is largely affecting Andhra Pradesh, has caused the deaths of over 800 people. The highest temperature has been 47C, 117F, which is hotter than normal for India.
According to ABC, the special commissioner for disaster management in the state, P Tulsi Ran, has said that “The state government has taken up education programs through television and other media to tell people not to venture into the outside without a cap, to drink water and other measures.”
However, according to CNN only about a third of India’s population has access to electricity. So, the information is not getting to all of the citizens of India.
People have been going to stores and malls just to be out of the heat. Mainly, the poorer citizens are the ones dying from the heatwave, also construction workers have been affected as they are working in the heat.
The heat has even caused streets to start melting. The heat wave should last another couple of days but it is expected to return not too long after.
India expects monsoons soon which will help with the heat wave but they will not come for another week and will not even be for the entire India. In a week the rains should reach the southern part of the country, but will not make it to the northern parts for weeks.
Photo: Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times photo
