No respite in sight: soaring temperatures, heatwave here to stay?

High temperatures and heatwaves have been the characteristic of advent of this year's summer season since early April.

With the national capital recording its hottest day for April in 12 years on Thursday, there is no respite in sight as the temperatures are expected to rise even further during peak months of May and June.

An unusually early heatwave has brought extreme temperatures to large swathes of India's northwest, central and eastern regions this season.

The phenomenon is also raising concerns that such weather conditions could become the new normal.

India's weather agency declares a heatwave when the maximum temperatures are at least 4.5°C above the normal average.

The main summer months - April, May and June - are always excruciatingly hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures.

India has already recorded its warmest March this year since 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department.

People are wondering how hot would it be in May or June with this level of heat already being felt in April.

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In recent years, heat waves have caused a number of deaths in India, especially among daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers, street vendors and the homeless, many of whom have to work outside in hot conditions and are at the greatest risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

2015 saw the worst heat wave in India since 1992, killing at least 2,081 people.

Meanwhile, reports of several heat induced fires have also been reported from multiple locations across the country.

Some experts have attributed rising temperatures as the cause behind formation of "extremely flammable" methane gas at dumping yards.

(with AP inputs)