Millions of Delhi residents experienced simmering record night temperatures, the highest in over a decade on Wednesday as the Indian city continues to reel under a gruelling heatwave.
Vast swathes of India, particularly the northern region, are experiencing one of the country's hottest spells in recent years, with temperatures reaching record highs.
The capital, New Delhi, is one of the worst-hit places, witnessing blistering heat.
The city recorded 42ºC on Tuesday but the heat index – the feeling of heat on the human body – touched 51ºC, and the night was the warmest in more than 12 years with temperatures reaching 35.2 ºC, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
“I went out for a walk in the evening, but it was insufferable,” Aditi Singh, a Delhi resident, told The National. “At home, we kept the air conditioner on for the whole night but there were episodes of power outages. Those brief moments were suffocating.”
Since April, Delhi has experienced bouts of prolonged heatwaves and high temperatures, including an all-time high for the megacity at 52ºC in May.
The densely populated city of 32 million has experienced scant rainfall as high surface temperatures continue to aggravate the crisis.
At least five people, mostly daily wage labourers, have died at the city's Ram Manohar Lohia hospital due to heatstroke in the past 72 hours, the hospital said.
The dead were mainly from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
“We are seeing a disproportionate number of cases of heatstroke patients being admitted to our hospital,” Dr Ajay Chauhan, professor in the Department of Medicine at RML hospital, who is looking after heat casualties, told The National.
“We seldom get heatstroke patients and have reported heatstroke deaths. I don’t recount declaring such deaths in past many years but this year we have seen a total of 10 deaths, five in the last 72 hours,” he said.
At least 36 people suffering from heatstroke have been admitted to the hospital, a dozen since Tuesday.
In one case, a patient was admitted with an unprecedented 41ºC temperature and was put in a tub filled with ice and cold water to regulate his body temperature.
The hospital has set up a dedicated unit for patients suffering from heatstroke.
“An overwhelming number of patients are [middle-aged] males … from poor sections of the society who have to compulsorily work and venture out in heat,” Dr Chauhan said.
“We use an immersion method where we maintain a room at 16ºC and immerse the patient in a ceramic tub with ice. Only the head is out, and we pour cold water with sponges to lower the body temperature. In heatstroke cases, every minute counts.”
At the city's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital, three patients died of heatstroke and five patients admitted with 41ºC fevers are on ventilators, media reports said.
Delhi’s power demand has also surged significantly as residents rely on air conditioners and water coolers.
The city's dwellers consumed a record 8,647MW of power on Tuesday, according to the State Load Dispatch Centre.
The country's meteorological department has warned that the severe heatwave will persist in Delhi and neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana until June 20.
The weather agency also said India is facing below-normal rainfall in June due to the monsoon’s slow progress, raising concerns for the country's farming sector.
The monsoon usually enters India's mainland from the southern state of Kerala around June 1.
It then gradually moves north-west, covering the entire subcontinent over the following three months, bringing respite from the heat and around 75 per cent of the total annual rainfall.
But this year, India has received 20 per cent less rainfall than normal since the beginning of the monsoon, according to data compiled by the IMD.
India’s agriculture depends heavily on the monsoon and the amount of rain determines not just farming production – as it irrigates over half of the country’s crop land – but also the country's economy and trade.
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AL%20BOOM
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
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Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The years Ramadan fell in May
