New Delhi/Guwahati: India has reported more than 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke this summer, as an extended heatwave claimed over 100 lives across the country. Simultaneously, parts of the northeast are battling floods caused by heavy rains, according to authorities.
The ongoing extreme heat across Asia, exacerbated by human-driven climate change, has pushed temperatures in northern India to nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in one of the longest heatwave periods on record. Birds have been seen falling from the sky due to the intense heat, and hospitals have reported an influx of heat-affected patients, with both daytime and nighttime temperatures peaking since the onset of summer in March.
In response, the health ministry has directed federal and state institutions to provide “immediate attention” to affected individuals. Hospitals in Delhi, which is also facing a water shortage, have been instructed to make more beds available. A health ministry official confirmed over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and at least 110 confirmed deaths from March 1 to June 18, with northwest and eastern India experiencing twice the usual number of heatwave days.
The weather office has forecast above-normal temperatures for this month, attributing the severe conditions to unbalanced urban growth that has turned Indian cities into “heat traps.” Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, reported that most bird rescue calls during the heatwave have been due to birds falling from the sky, with Wildlife SOS receiving 35-40 rescue calls daily in and around the Delhi-National Capital Region.
Meanwhile, in Assam, floods and landslides triggered by incessant rain claimed at least six lives on Tuesday night. A landslide buried a woman and her three daughters alive, and a three-year-old was also killed. Over 160,000 people in Assam have been affected by the floods, with waters exceeding danger levels in the Kopili River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra.
Since the end of May, more than 30 people have died in Assam due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rains.
