Heatwave conditions continue across northern India
The extreme heat has lasted for two weeks in some northern areas
Hot and dry weather is affecting many parts of India, with some northern areas suffering from a heatwave which began during the third week of March.
Temperatures have been as much as eight degrees above the March average, exceeding 40C (104F) in some places.
The heatwave has now abated for some, but is continuing across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.
March is known as the transition month from winter to summer conditions, with daily maximum temperatures steadily rising across the country but especially over northern and central parts.
In some years the transition can be swift, and when maximum temperatures rise above 40C heatwave conditions can develop.
According to statistics from the India Meteorological Department, an average of 17% of severe heatwave conditions occur during March, the second highest after June.
The present heatwave began in Gujarat and southern Rajasthan before extending across much of the rest of northern India.
The high temperatures are a result of a combination of meteorological factors, including virtually cloudless skies and a hot, dry westerly flow of air across the region.
Such heatwave conditions can be deadly, especially to the vulnerable sections of society such as the homeless, and are typical of the weather across India prior to the monsoon season.
The southwest monsoon sets in around June and lasts through until September, bringing relief from the heat to the Indian subcontinent in the form of rain and lower temperatures.
