IMD warns weeklong heat wave across north central western India
Northern, central, and western India are dealing with a serious heat wave: temperatures have soared past 40 degrees Celsius in many spots.
Banda in Uttar Pradesh saw a scorching 46.4 degrees Celsius, while Delhi's Ridge station wasn't far behind at 45.3 degrees Celsius.
The IMD says the extreme heat is likely to stick around for another week, with warnings out for Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Punjab shortens hours, Banda opens shelters
Punjab will shorten school and office hours starting May 25 to help people cope; now everyone's heading home by 1:30pm.
In Banda, public shelters are open and traffic signals switched off during the day to keep things safer.
With red alerts issued for some regions, doctors are urging folks to wear loose cotton clothing, avoid direct sunlight between 10am and 5pm and take regular shade breaks.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh caught a break thanks to a weather shift linked to a western disturbance that cooled things down by up to eight degrees Celsius in some areas.