India Heat Wave Toll Passes 1,000

A heat wave in India has left more than 1,000 people dead, and forecasters expect the punishing conditions to persist through the coming days.

Most of the deaths have come in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where the India Meteorological Department predicts high temperatures will exceed 40 degrees Celsius through at least the end of the month. 

The heat wave has produced some daily temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius in the past week, when there has been a surge in the number of deaths.

Indian vendors rest under the shade of a tree in Hyderabad on May 25, 2015. /AP

Hospitals are seeing a large number of patients suffering from sun stroke and dehydration, prompting officials to urge people to stay inside and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day.

May and June are usually the hottest months of the year in India, with temperatures often ranging between 42 to 47 degrees Celsius, before monsoon rains hit the region.