At least nine people have died of suspected heat stroke in India’s western state of Rajasthan, media said on Friday, with temperatures expected to soar further amid predictions of a severe heat wave.Searing heat in the country’s north has been a cause of concern during a mammoth general election, and the capital, New Delhi, is set to vote today in temperatures forecast to be around 45 degrees C.India’s summer temperatures often peak in May, but scientists have predicted more heatwave days than usual this year, largely caused by fewer non-monsoon thundershowers and an active but weakening El Nino weather phenomenon.At least nine deaths in Rajasthan were suspected to have resulted from people falling sick in the sweltering heat, local media said.The state’s disaster management officials said they had yet to ascertain the cause, as medical examinations were not complete.The news comes after the city of Barmer in Rajasthan topped temperature charts this week with a record 48.8C on Thursday.Weather officials have warned of conditions ranging from a heatwave to a severe heatwave in many parts of the state, as well as in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.Indian weather officials set the heatwave threshold at a maximum temperature of 40C in the country’s plains, as well as a departure of at least 4.5C from the normal maximum temperature.In the southern state of Kerala, by contrast, at least seven people died following pre-monsoon rains that were about 18% heavier than normal, bringing floods that disrupted flight schedules in some areas.A red alert has been issued by the weather department in Kerala.Meanwhile, a team of international scientists said extreme temperatures throughout Asia last month were made worse most likely as a result of human-driven climate change.Parts of Bangladesh and neighbouring states are likely to be hit by a cyclone in a couple of days.In neighbouring Pakistan, the climate change ministry said that about 26 districts in the country were boiling under a severe heatwave as of Thursday, with the current spell of sizzling temperature likely to last until May 30.The temperature was expected to hit 50C in at least two cities in the southern province of Sindh on Friday, which has already delayed week annual school exams due to the blistering heat.In a striking contrast, Bangladesh and parts of West Bengal in eastern India are expected to be hit by “severe cyclonic storm” Remal, which is likely to make landfall tomorrow, IMD has predicted.

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