In northern India temperatures passed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) as a persistent heatwave hit India causing dozens of casualties, according to The Weather Channel.
This past weekend, scorching temperatures of 50.6ºC (123 Fahrenheit) were recorded in the Rajasthan desert city of Churu.
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that extreme heat could continue in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for up to a week.
Numerous large cities have announced fears of water shortages as waterways and lakes are quickly drying up.
On Monday, Skymet Weather said that the pre-monsoon rainfall in India was the second lowest in 65 years and it predicts a below normal monsoon for 2019. Moreover, a recent study released last month by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecasts an increase in the country’s heatwave duration and frequency. The study shows that this is due to the phenomenon ‘El Niño Modoki’ and depletion of soil moisture.
Farmers are currently battling to find water for parched animals and crops in the western state of Maharashtra. Many of which only get water every three days for their livestock.
According to the Hindustan Times, residents of Beed, located in the central region of Maharashtra, have stopped washing and cleaning clothes because of water shortages.
A new study by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar has found that nearly 50 per cent of the country is currently facing drought.
