India continued to reel under severe heatwave conditions on Wednesday, with temperatures crossing 45 degrees Celsius in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Odisha as the IMD issued red and orange alerts across several regions.

Uttar Pradesh’s Banda emerged as the hottest place in the country at 48 degrees Celsius, 4.5 notches above normal. Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is under a red alert, with Wardha recording 47.1 degrees Celsius and three other cities crossing the 46-degree mark.

The IMD also issued a red alert for Akola, Amravati and Wardha on May 21, while Nagpur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal remain under orange alert.

According to IMD scientist Dr Praveen Kumar, “The existence of anticyclonic circulation and prevalence of dry and hot wind” are causing above-normal maximum temperatures across the region. Orange alerts have also been issued for parts of Vidarbha between May 22 and 24.

Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh also continued to swelter under severe heat conditions, with Rohtak topping at 46.9 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Bathinda touched 46.6 degrees Celsius, while Amritsar recorded 43.6 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh registered a maximum temperature of 44.4 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. Amid the worsening conditions, the Haryana government announced summer vacations for schools from May 25 to June 30.

Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar recorded 46.5 degrees Celsius, while Pilani, Phalodi, Bikaner and Churu also registered temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius. Odisha’s industrial town of Jharsuguda touched 46 degrees Celsius, with 21 places in the state recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and seven crossing the 43-degree mark. The IMD has issued heatwave warnings for several districts in Odisha till May 24.

Delhi recorded a heatwave for the second consecutive day, with Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, registering a maximum temperature of 44.5 degrees Celsius, 4.1 notches above normal. The IMD has maintained an orange alert for the national capital, warning of prolonged moderate to severe heatwave conditions over the next few days.

Hospitals in Delhi are also witnessing a rise in heat-related illnesses, with doctors reporting increased cases of dehydration, heat exhaustion, dizziness, electrolyte imbalance and early signs of heat stroke.

According to doctors at city hospitals, emergency wards are handling 15-25 heat-related cases daily, with some patients requiring hospitalisation due to high body temperature, altered cognition and severe dehydration.

In Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to strengthen hospital preparedness and set up drinking water distribution centres to tackle the rising temperatures across the state.