It's often hot in India. But the past 10 days have been exceptional, even for one of the hottest places on the planet. The highest temperature recorded on Wednesday reached 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the eastern states of Jharkhand and Odisha。
Commuters aren't just sweating and dizzy -- they can't drive because the roads are melting。
通勤族不只是流汗和晕眩,还不能开车,因为道路由于高温在融化。
The pain and loss the heat has caused is devastating. More than 1,400 people have died。
因高温而造成的痛苦和损失是灾难性的,已有1400多人因高温而丧命。
One elderly man lost his 38-year-old son to heat stroke. The man had simply ventured out to buy his father's medicine。
一位老人38岁的儿子因中暑而丧命。他外出仅仅是为了给老父亲买药。
So what's behind India's heat, is it unusual and when will it end?
那么,印度高温的背后是什么?这高温正常吗?何时结束?
What's behind the heat?
高温的背后是什么?
There are at least a couple things. Climate change is likely a factor, according to Benjamin Cook, a research scientist with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. But it's not possible without a lot of research to know exactly how much climate change is affecting conditions in India, he said。
India is experiencing Loo winds, hot and dry westerly gusts from Pakistan and northwest India which dries out the region, according to CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett. That means that air moisture, or dew point, is low. When a monsoon advances, and one is expected to hit as early as the end of this week, there is always more dry heat。
Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan are hot, with temperatures well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but India appears to be suffering far worse, due in part to its many densely populated areas。
About two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people have access to electricity. That would mean that in India alone about 400 million people do not have reliable access to air conditioning and refrigeration。
And India suffers because of geography. High mountains block cool air coming from the northeast, said Garrett。
加勒特说,印度出现这种情况的原因还因为它的地形,高山阻挡了从东北方向吹来的凉风。
Is a hotter future ahead?
未来会更热吗?
India is used to intense early summers. May is typically India's hottest month with temps in some parts of the country hovering around 104 to 105 degrees. Heatwaves are common in India. Hundreds died in 2002 and 2003 as a result of the heat。
Studies suggest India is in for more rough summers. The southern part of the country, which has mostly escaped the buckling heat, is predicted to suffer more heat waves. Overall, more parts of India will suffer heat waves that last longer -- possibly 30 days。
It's possible that a monsoon could hit by the end of the week and bring relief. On Wednesday night, a light shower in Hyderabad brought some relief to millions who had been praying for rain。