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A punishing and severe heatwave has completely taken over large parts of Northern and Central India, sending temperatures soaring to dangerously high levels and triggering urgent health warnings across multiple states. According to the latest bulletin from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the intense weather system is driven by dry, westerly winds and is expected to persist relentlessly until at least May 24. On Monday, the city of Banda in Uttar Pradesh emerged as the hottest location in the country for the second consecutive day, recording a scorching maximum temperature of 47.6°C. Close behind was Bathinda in Punjab, which touched a blistering 47°C, while Wardha in Maharashtra recorded 46.5°C, and several districts across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi logged temperatures well over 46°C. The IMD has issued severe heatwave alerts for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, warning that the lack of moisture and strong solar radiation will keep conditions extreme. In addition to daytime scorching, meteorologists have raised concerns over “warm nights” where the minimum temperatures fail to drop significantly, denying citizens any relief from the oppressive heat. Private weather forecasting agency Skymet noted that nearly half of the country is currently under the grip of this thermal onslaught, excluding only the Northeast and southern coastal regions. Local administrations in the worst-hit states have issued strict public health advisories, urging people to avoid outdoor activities between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM to prevent heatstroke. Government hospitals have set up dedicated heat-stroke wards equipped with ice packs and IV fluids, while schools in several districts have altered their timings or declared early summer vacations to protect young children. The extreme heat is also putting an immense strain on India’s power grids, as the demand for air conditioning has caused electricity consumption to skyrocket to near-record levels. Farmers are facing an equally tough challenge, with agricultural experts warning that the prolonged dry spell and heat could severely deplete soil moisture and impact standing summer crops. Water scarcity has also reared its head in rural pockets, forcing state governments to deploy emergency water tankers to severely parched villages and urban slums.
