Heatwave: 56 heat-related deaths, 25,000 heatstroke cases reported in India from March to May

India reported nearly 25,000 suspected heatstroke cases and 56 deaths due to heath-related causes from March to May, Reuters reported, citing local media and government data.

May was particularly harsh, with temperatures in Delhi and Rajasthan soaring to 50 degrees Celsius. 

Notably, there is some relief in sight as the weather office has predicted less severe heatwave conditions until Wednesday. The early arrival of the monsoon in Kerala last week is expected to bring further relief.

Meanwhile, parts of eastern India grappled with Cyclone Remal, and heavy rains in Assam have claimed 14 lives since Tuesday.

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Heatstroke Deaths During Elections

On Friday, at least 33 people, including election officials, died of suspected heatstroke in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha during India's general election.

The central state of Madhya Pradesh alone recorded over 5,000 heatstroke cases.

Data from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed that May was the worst month, with 46 heat-related deaths and 19,189 suspected heat stroke cases, as reported by The Print.

However, The Hindu reported that the total death toll in India due to heatstroke could be as high as 80 from across the country. 

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Odisha Alone Sees 20 Sunstroke Deaths

Twenty people have died from sunstroke in Odisha over the past three days as the state experiences a severe heatwave, according to an official statement.

Since Friday, authorities have reported 99 suspected sunstroke-related deaths across various districts. Post-mortem examinations and inquiries confirmed 20 of these as sunstroke deaths, while two were due to other causes, PTI reported. The remaining cases are still under investigation.

Earlier, there were 42 reported cases of suspected sunstroke deaths. Out of these, six were confirmed as sunstroke deaths, and another six were found to have died from other causes.

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The majority of deaths were reported from the districts of Bolangir, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Sonepur, Sundergarh, and Balasore.

Odisha Authorities' Response

Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu reviewed the situation with district collectors on Sunday, PTI reported. They instructed district administrations to follow the heatwave advisory and take precautionary measures.

Districts were directed to ensure a post-mortem examination for every suspected sunstroke death to facilitate the sanction of ex-gratia. Officials also mandated a joint inquiry by the local revenue officer and the local medical officer to determine the exact cause of each death.

Climate Change Impact

In Sri Lanka, at least 15 people died from flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported on Sunday.

A combination of factors have resulted in an intensely hot summer in South Asia, a trend exacerbated by human-driven climate change.

(With inputs from Reuters and PTI)