Heatwave in India’s Rajasthan kills at least nine

At least nine deaths in Rajasthan in India's west were suspected to have resulted from people falling sick in the sweltering heat, local media said.

The state's disaster management officials told Reuters they had yet to ascertain the cause, as medical examinations were not complete.

The news comes after the city of Barmer in Rajasthan topped temperature charts this week with a record 48.8 Celsius (119.84 Fahrenheit) on Thursday.

Weather officials have warned of conditions ranging from a heatwave to severe heatwave in many parts of the state, as well as in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

Indian weather officials set the heatwave threshold at a maximum temperature of 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the plains, as well as a departure of at least 4.5 Celsius (40.1 Fahrenheit) from the normal maximum temperature.

In neighboring Pakistan, the climate change ministry said that about 26 districts in the country were boiling under a severe heatwave as of Thursday, with the current spell of sizzling temperature likely to last until May 30.

The temperature is expected to hit 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in at least two cities in the southern province of Sindh on Friday, which has already delayed week annual school exams due to the blistering heat.

Reuters