Heatwave claims 87 lives this year, Telangana tops the list with 56 deaths

New Delhi: Heatwave has claimed over 4,000 lives in the last four years, with 87 people succumbing to heatwave this year until March, the government said on Wednesday.

In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha asked by over nine MPs, Y S Chowdary, Minister of State for Earth Sciences, said in the last four years, 4,204 people have died due to heatwave.

In 2013, 1,433 people died due to heatwave of which 1,393 were from undivided Andhra Pradesh. In 2014, the figure dipped to 549, but rose to 2,135 in 2015, with Andhra Pradesh recording over 1,422 deaths, followed by 584 in Telangana.

Until March this year, the intense heatwave has claimed the lives of 87 people, with Telangana topping the list with 56 deaths, followed by 19 in Odisha. Andhra Pradesh has recorded 8 eight deaths, while Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have one casualty each due to heatwave.

"During the 2016 hot weather season (April to June), warmer than normal temperatures are expected in all meteorological sub-divisions of the country. Seasonal (April-June) average temperatures over northwest India are expected to be above normal by 1 degree Celsius.

"Above normal heatwave conditions are very likely over central and northwest India during 2016 hot weather season," the minister said.