No sign of respite from sweltering heat

TEMPERATURES REMAIN ABOVE 45 DEGREES CELSIUS

A blistering heat wave swept through large parts of India for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, affecting health and livelihoods.

There is no relief predicted in the affected areas -- Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and northwest Madhya Pradesh -- during the next five days.

The Met Office has issued a red warning for these states, stressing the need for "extreme care for vulnerable people".

It said extreme heat will continue in the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, safe havens for people escaping the punishing heat in the plains, during the period.

On Tuesday, temperatures remained above 45 degrees Celsius in swathes of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh, affecting daily life as many chose to remain indoors in the afternoon.

Parts of Gujarat reeled from the deadly combination of high heat and humidity.

The mercury soared to a blistering 47.8 degrees Celsius in Haryana's Sirsa, making it the warmest place in the country on Tuesday.

In Delhi, temperatures dropped a few degrees compared to the previous days but remained three to five notches above normal for this time of the year.

Officials said the national capital's peak power demand reached an all-time high of 7,717 MW on Tuesday afternoon, as households and offices increased the use of air conditioners.