India has been hit by a severe heatwave, having seen temperatures of more than 40°C since April this year.

A New Delhi media company NDTV reported that as of June 3, 2019, 11 of the 15 hottest places in the world are currently in India.

Eleven of world's 15 hottest places in last 24 hours in India: Report https://t.co/cKm0DlTSuR pic.twitter.com/HNCHkCh2pg

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 3, 2019

Hitting over 51°C in India

On June 1, the desert city of Churu in the Indian state of Rajasthan recorded a temperature of 50.6°C, CNA reported.

This has come close to the highest temperature ever recorded in India, which was 51°C in Rajasthan, back in 2016.

India-based media Hindustan Times (HT) also reported on June 2 that around two-thirds of India had been affected by the heatwave.

Temperatures at major cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Kota, Hyderabad, and Lucknow have exceeded 45°C.

Severe water shortages

The prolonged heat has resulted in severe water shortages in some districts and villages as lakes and rivers dry up.

In the western state of Maharashtra, the drought has ground agriculture and the rearing of livestock to a halt.

In the district of Beed, residents are now bathing every alternate day while women must wait until dark to defecate in the open due to the lack of water for flushing.

Farmers are also only receiving water for their livestock every three days.

Weather has become quite hot in most parts of India....thirst quenching has become key for all species! pic.twitter.com/MZeeBFIDeA

— Swaminathan P (@swami2005) April 28, 2019

Several deaths reported

Several deaths have since been reported because of the heatwave.

The monsoon season is, however, likely to begin on June 6 — a week behind schedule — at India's southern coast, which will end the dry spell.

Weather forecaster Skymet has warned that the monsoon will remain weak and that there will be less rain than average this year.

In the meantime, the Indian Meteorological Department projects the high temperatures to persist in the next few days.

Top image from India Water Portal Twitter

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