Parts of India reeling under severe heat wave

NAGPUR / KOLKATA - With the mercury rising, severe heat wave conditions are sweeping across many cities in the country.

In Nagpur, temperatures are being pegged at close 44 degree Celsius.

People are covering their faces with scarves, using sunscreen lotions and carrying umbrellas before venturing out.

“For the last two to three days Nagpur’s temperature has crossed the 44 degree Celsius level, which is why the climate has become so hot. Even at nine in the morning, it is so hot that it becomes very difficult to venture out of our houses,” said Jamgade, a resident of the city.

“Back at our homes, the cooler and air conditioners fails to work, we have to bathe three times a day. This is just the beginning and god knows what will happen in May. As soon as we step out of our homes, our skin starts burning under the sun. Even the sunscreen lotion doesn’t work,” Jamgade added.

Similar conditions were experienced in Kolkata, where the heat is throwing normal life out of gear.

To top it all, there are frequent power cuts in the city, which is upsetting the locals all the more.

“We are facing a lot of problems due to the heat wave. It is very difficult for us to step out of the house, to top it all; there are frequent power cuts. Every night we have to spend without electricity, we cannot sleep. Lastly, it becomes very difficult to go for work in the morning,” said Dey.

Until June when monsoon rains arrive, the months of May-June are usually the hottest in the country with the temperature going way beyond the 40-45 degrees Celsius mark at many places in northern and eastern India.

Meteorologists say that over the years the average temperature has been rising, mainly due to global warming.(ANI)