Dayslong heatwave in India blamed for over 150 deaths

A fatal heatwave on Monday continued across India, with nearly 170 deaths and over 200 hospitalizations attributed to the extreme heat. Hospitals in the heavily populated states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar struggled to meet the surge of patients. Dr. Aditya Singh said staff at one hospital had been working “three days straight.” The Indian Meteorological Department released heat wave warnings over the last week, and temperatures reached a high of 113 degrees. Indian officials predicted heavy rainfall later this week, which could trigger floods in the northern region.

Why is this heatwave so fatal? Due to a national power crisis that has caused regular outages, many Indians can’t rely on air conditioning to stay cool. Millions lack running water, which puts them at risk for heat stroke and severe dehydration. Indian officials report that many of the fatalities were older citizens with pre-existing health conditions exacerbated by extreme heat.

Dig Deeper: From the archives, listen to this report on The World and Everything in It podcast about another Indian heatwave in April.