Global warming
Exceptional temperatures were recorded in the subcontinent, killing dozens of people on Saturday June 1, as the last day of the general elections took place.
This is one of the most extreme heatwaves India has ever experienced. While the record temperature of 52.9°C measured at the end of May was called into question by the Indian meteorological department, the north of the country is still suffocating below 45°C to 49°C, at the limit of what can be tolerated. the human.
Heat killed at least 33 poll workers in Uttar Pradesh state on Saturday June 1, the last day of national elections, an election official said. “Financial compensation of 1.5 million rupees (16,600 euros) will be paid to the families of the deceased”, Navdeep Rinwa, the chief electoral officer of this state, said on Sunday. In the town of Ballia, also in Uttar Pradesh, a man who was queuing to vote lost consciousness and died, Navdeep Rinwa also said. “The voter was transported to a health facility, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival”explained the manager.
Exceptional heat waves
Many deaths have been reported in India following these exceptional successive heat waves, where the mercury exceeded 45°C several times. The death of dozens of agents in a single day represents a particularly high toll. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, temperatures in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, reached 46.9°C.
India experiences scorching temperatures in the hot season, but this year the heat waves have been particularly scorching, with many records broken. During previous similar episodes in India and Pakistan, several thousand people died in their homes, the extreme heat being deadly, especially for vulnerable people. Scientific consensus shows that climate change is causing longer, more frequent and more intense heat waves around the world.
Regarding the elections, Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems on track to win a third term, according to several exit polls. The results will be officially announced on Tuesday.
