India reels under intense heatwave

Severe heat conditions have been consistently reported over large parts of India since the beginning of the summer season in March this year (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Maximum temperatures in west Rajasthan and Vidarbha in Maharashtra have remained between 40 degrees and 45 degrees Celsius throughout the last two months (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

There have been at least 26 heatwave days since the beginning of March (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Heatwaves occur most commonly in the summer months of April-June, with their severity and frequency peaking in May (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

As April temperature increases, Maharashtra experiences heat waves. In this picture, local fishermen are seen drying their fresh catch (shrimps) on a stretch at the back roads of Nerul in Navi Mumbai, Thursday.(Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

A woman all prepped to keep her safe from the scorching heat, near Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

A woman uses a bag to protect herself from the sun, on a hot summer day, near Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

A man rests on his rickshaw on a hot summer day in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Thursday (AP)

Pedestrians shield their faces from the heat with a scarf, in Gurugram, Thursday (PTI)

A pedestrian quenches his thirst on a hot summer day, at Cannaught Place in New Delhi (PTI)

Boys jump into the Arabian Sea to beat the heat, at Badhwar Park in Mumbai, Thursday (PTI)

A boy takes a dip in a canal, on the outskirts of Amritsar, Thursday (PTI)