April has only just begun and already more than 100 heatwave-related deaths have been reported across the country, as temperatures reach into the 40’s.
The India Meteorological Department has issued numerous heat wave alerts. With an early start to the heatwaves, this year is expected to be particularly bad. Most of the casualties so far have been in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Abnormally above-normal temperatures can have devastating effects on human health, water resources and power generation and outage. There is a marked relationship between human mortality and thermal stress.Dr S Pai, Indian Meteorological Department of Pune, told Indian Express
Since 1990, almost 20,000 people have died after suffering a heat stroke.
Data from the Ministry of Home Affairs shows a rise in the number of heat stroke-related deaths since 2000. These numbers do not include other heat-related deaths, like dehydration.
For example, in 2003, 807 people died from heat strokes, but a total of more than 1,200 people died across the country.
El Niño, a phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean which releases heat into the atmosphere, may contribute to higher temperatures this year. Climate change is also expected to exacerbate heatwaves across the country.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)