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India heatwave kills over 100 in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana as power, health systems strain
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that northern states, including Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana will continue to experience intense heat over the coming days
- PUBLISHED: Mon 25 May 2026, 4:42 PM
Over a hundred people have died following the intense heat wave in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the past three days, according to reports from some of the worst-hit districts.
More than 40 deaths were reported on Saturday in the two states, with Warangal in Telangana accounting for 23.
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Scorching summer heat continued to bake the two states on Monday, and the weather authorities warned people to stay indoors and avoid direct exposure to the sun.
Thirty of the 40 deaths were from Telangana, according to news channel TV9 Telugu; while ETV Bharat, another channel, said the overall toll due to rise temperatures added up to over 100 in the twin Telugu states.
Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Telangana’s revenue and disaster management minister urged officials to issue early warnings to prevent people from venturing out. He also directed cold drinking water and buttermilk should be made available at public places.
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The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) on Monday issued a fresh advisory, noting that the heatwave will continue for the next three days.
Temperatures soared to 48.3 degrees C at Chityala in East Godavari district on Sunday, and touched 48.1C in two places in West Godavari and Palnadu districts.
More than a dozen districts saw temperatures above 45C. Prakhar Jain, managing director, APSDMA, said severe heatwave conditions would continue on Tuesday as well. He urged people to avoid venturing out between 11am and 4pm and to drink water frequently.
Worse, reports of shocking incidents are emerging from the southern states. NDTV reported that a family in Telangana had to carry a relative’s body on their shoulders after a government hospital failed provide a hearse.
Kandi Venkanna, 45, from Bhadrachalam, suffered a heatstroke last week and was rushed to a government hospital where he died. But the family did not get a vehicle to transport the body, and had to carry it on their shoulders for four km.
After videos and photographs began circulating on social media, the officials ordered a preliminary inquiry into the absence of a hearse to carry the body.
The Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), the opposition party, criticised the Congress government for the lack of healthcare and emergency services in the state. K.T. Rama Rao, the working president of the BRS, accused the Congress of pushing the state back into "distress and humiliation."
"Families are being forced to carry dead bodies on their shoulders. This is heartbreaking and shameful," he wrote in a post on X.
Heatwave to persist
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that many northern states, including Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana will experience intense heat over the coming days. In Delhi, temperatures have soared above 45 degrees C in several places. Hospitals and health clinics across the city are reporting a spurt in the number of patients seeking treatment for a variety of ailments related to the heat.
Punjab’s health minister Balbir Singh told government hospitals to set up heat stroke management units and ensure cooling measures including ice packs and cold IV fluids. Even in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the met office has issued a yellow warning for heatwave conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other parts of the mountainous state are expected to experience thunderstorms as well.
In states such as Uttar Pradesh, there are massive power cuts as well, as electricity demand has soared to record highs with many people switching on air-conditioners. The state’s power infrastructure is under stress resulting in low voltages, transformer breakdowns and abrupt disconnections. In many districts, there have been public protests against the power failure.
Several political leaders have been urging government officials to ensure steady power supplies in cities witnessing 45-degrees-plus weather. They cited growing public ire and alleged harassment by some officials.
