The unrelenting heat turned daily activities into an arduous task in large parts of India on Sunday, with Najafgarh in southwest Delhi reaching a sweltering 47.8 degrees Celsius — the highest in the country so far this season.
The crippling heat strained low-income households, which often have poor access to water and cooling, and tested the endurance of outdoor workers toiling in the searing sun, forcing them to take frequent breaks.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a severe heat wave in parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Even the hill stations in Himachal Pradesh, safe havens for people escaping the punishing heat in the plains, reeled from the scorching conditions.
Maximum temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius in Dharamshala, 44.4 degrees in Una, 42.4 degrees in Bilaspur, 36.6 degrees in Solan and 40 degrees in Kangra.