India is in the grips of a monstrous pre-monsoon heatwave that has killed more than 160 people in recent weeks. The majority of the deaths have been in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but soaring temperatures have compounded ongoing drought and water shortages across the country and threaten to impact as many as 330 million people, according to figures the Indian government reported to the Supreme Court.

The hottest summer months in India tend to be May and June, so the current spell in April has officials concerned about a spike in heat-related deaths. 

"It’s not just an unusually hot summer, it is climate change," said Harsh Vardhan, Indian Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences.

Please go to this link for full article in South China Morning Post.