This month is going down in history books as one of the hottest Aprils inIndia. Temperatures have recently soared above 40° C (104° F),shattering numerous record highs. Purulia, a city in eastern India, endured ahigh of 49.2° C (120.6° F) on Wednesday. The heat has led to the deathsof 28 people in the state of Orissa.The heat wave will continue across eastern India today. This includesOrissa, but the most extreme heat will target states to the north. That hasheightened fears of more people succumbing to the heat not only from engagingin daily activities, but also from waiting in lines for the nation's elections.
Longer lines are anticipated due to India using electronic voting machines forthe first time. Dangerous heat stroke and dehydration are among the heat'sthreats.
India's national election process takes a full month to accommodate the over710 million registered voters. People vote on one of five days, depending uponwhich state they reside in. Today marks the election's second day.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
