THE DEATH TOLL IN THE UNRELENTING HEATWAVE SWEEPING ACROSS LARGE PARTS OF INDIA ROSE TO 22 SUNDAY, NEWS REPORTS SAID, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE SOARING MERCURY WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SEVERE POWER OUTAGES AND WATER SHORTAGE IN SEVERAL NORTHERN INDIAN STATES. MANY TOWNS, INCLUDING NATIONAL CAPITAL DELHI, SAW THEIR HOTTEST DAY THIS SUMMER SATURDAY AS THE MERCURY ROSE TO WELL ABOVE 40 DEGREES CELSIUS. STATE-RUN DOORDARSHAN TELEVISION REPORTED 10 HEAT-RELATED DEATHS IN THE EASTERN STATE OF ORISSA. UNCONFIRMED REPORTS SAID AT LEAST 40 PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIED AS TEMPERATURES HOVERED SEVEN TO EIGHT DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. SEVEN DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN NORTHERN UTTAR PRADESH STATE WHERE LARGE AREAS WENT WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR 10 TO 12 HOURS. THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE THIS SEASON - 48 DEGREES CELSIUS - WAS RECORDED IN GANGANAGAR IN RAJASTHAN STATE NEAR THE INDIA-PAKISTAN BORDER. FIVE PEOPLE HAD DIED OF HEAT STROKE IN RAJASTHAN, DOORDARSHAN REPORTED. IN DELHI, WHERE THE TEMPERATURES TOUCHED 44.5 DEGREES CELSIUS SATURDAY, THE AUTHORITIES CALLED ON RESIDENTS TO USE ONE AIR CONDITIONER PER HOUSEHOLD AND RESTRICT USE TO NIGHTS IN A MOVE TO REGULATE POWER OUTAGES. HEATWAVE CONDITIONS WERE ALSO REPORTED FROM SOUTHERN MAHARASHTRA STATE, NORTHERN JAMMU AND KASHMIR, HARYANA, PUNJAB AND MADHYA PRADESH. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF RESPITE, WITH INDIA'S FEDERAL WEATHER OFFICE FORECASTING HEATWAVE CONDITIONS WITH TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 42-44 DEGREES OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS OVER NORTH-WEST INDIA.
