Hyderabad: The India Meteorological Department issued a severe heat alert for 11 districts in Telangana as soaring temperatures and heatwave conditions claimed 17 lives in a single day.
The weather department warned people in Asifabad, Mancherial, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Nagarkurnool districts to remain cautious and avoid going outdoors unless necessary.
Temperatures continued to rise sharply across the state on Thursday.
Officials reported heatstroke deaths from several districts. Four people each died in the erstwhile Nalgonda and Warangal districts.
Karimnagar reported three deaths, while Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Khammam districts recorded two deaths each.
Mutharam in Peddapalli district and Munagala in Suryapet district recorded the highest temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius.
Several other areas also recorded temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius.
Severe heat alert issued amid fires and crop losses
Apart from extreme heat, fire accidents also caused major damage in different parts of Telangana.
A farmer identified as Noone Munthala Sattaiah, 72, died after getting trapped in flames while burning paddy residue in Shaligouraram mandal of Nalgonda district.
Meanwhile, fires damaged crops spread across hundreds of acres in Mahabubabad and Jangaon districts.
In Hyderabad’s Old City, a fire accident at a clothing store caused property losses estimated at nearly Rs 2 crore.
The extreme weather also affected poultry farms in Rangareddy and Khammam districts.
Hundreds of chickens reportedly died because of the intense heat.
However, the IMD predicted thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in Kothagudem, Khammam, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts.
Officials advised people to remain alert as the state continued to face severe heat along with the possibility of unseasonal rain.