India records ‘longest’ heatwave, Delhi faces water crisis

India’s capital Delhi is facing a severe water crisis as the country undergoes its “longest spell” of recorded heatwave.

According to India’s Meteorological Department, temperatures in some parts of the second-most populated city in India soared above 45 degrees Celsius to 47 degrees Celsius on Thursday, and is expected to hover around a similar range through the weekend.

“Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions [are] likely to continue over northern parts of India during next 4-5 days,” IMD said in a release.

The highest daily temperature in Delhi has consecutively surpassed 40°C since May 12, weather forecasting site AccuWeather showed.

“This has been the longest spell because it has been experienced for about 24 days in different parts of the country,” Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of the IMD, said in an interview with the Indian Express daily earlier this week. 

The South Asian nation often endures heatwaves and droughts as a result of global warming.

Delhi’s Water Minister Atishi warned Thursday the city is facing a water shortage of 50 million gallons daily due to a lack of raw water supply from the Yamuna river and other sources, the Economic Times reported.

Temperatures exceeded 52.9°C on May 29 in Mungeshpur, a village in the northwest part of Delhi, IMD said, adding it was an “outlier” as temperatures in other parts of Delhi ranged between 45.2°C to 49.1°C that day.

Local media reported that a 40-year-old factory worker died as a result of heat stroke.

Other parts of India were not spared, with temperatures in some cities touching 47.5°C on Thursday.

Multiple Indian media publications have also reported deaths of voters and poll personnel in May after standing in the scorching heat to cast their votes in the recent general election.

India’s health ministry advised residents to stay hydrated, avoid direct sun exposure and keep a look out for those who are sick or elderly.

Many countries in South and Southeast Asia have also faced a similar weather conditions, with temperatures in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam surpassing 40°C.

“Asia is heating up faster than the global average, with increased casualties and economic losses from floods, storms, and more severe heatwaves,” the World Meteorological Organization, the UN’s weather agency, warned in April.