Overview
- The India Meteorological Department has issued red and orange alerts for large parts of central and northwest India and warns severe heatwave conditions will continue through the coming week.
- Health officials report multiple heatstroke deaths in the current spell, including 16 in Telangana, and hospitals in several states have opened or scaled up dedicated heat‑stroke units and ambulance cooling measures.
- Electricity demand has hit record levels, prompting state actions such as Uttar Pradesh raising generation capacity and officials directing measures to keep power supply uninterrupted for homes and irrigation.
- The southwest monsoon is advancing over southern and northeastern India and the IMD says a western disturbance expected around May 28–29 should trigger thunderstorms and lower daytime highs by roughly 2–5°C in parts of the north and central plains.
- Scientists and labour advocates stress that unusually warm nights reduce physiological recovery, that heatwaves are growing longer with climate change, and that non‑binding worker protections leave informal and gig workers especially exposed.