The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said intense heatwave conditions were likely to continue over most parts of northwestern India. The weather forecasters declare a heatwave when maximum temperatures reach the threshold value of 40 degree Celsius in the plains and 30º C in hilly areas. Chandrapur in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region recorded the highest temperature this summer at 48º C. Heatwaves are the third-biggest natural killer in India, causing 2,040 human deaths in 2015. They have killed 25,716 people from 1992 to 2016 in various states. According to scientists, intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly frequent due to effects of climate change globally. According to the Union Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, instances of heatwaves increased from 21 in 2010 to over 500 in 2017.
— source downtoearth.org.in | 30 May 2019