Monsoon Rains Bring Relief To Indian States Hit By Deadly Heatwave

HEAT WAVE

Indian men are watched by bus passengers as they use the spray from a street hydrant to cool down in Kolkata, 16 June, 2005. India's annual monsoon rains have stalled on their northward path in the past week after sweeping southern Kerala state as a heat wave in the east claimed 54 lives, weather officials said.The annual rains, which sweep the subcontinent from June to September and are crucial for the agriculture-dependent economy, normally progress steadily north allowing farmers to sow crops as well as bring relief to areas where daily temperatures can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer. AFP photo by Deshakalyan Chowdhury.

New Delhi (AFP) Jun 21, 2005
The annual southwest monsoon reached more parts of western and eastern India Tuesday, bringing cooler temperatures to states that have reported scores of heat-related deaths since early June.

"The monsoon has already reached West Bengal and it will be a day or two before it covers Bihar (state)," weather department spokesman J.K. Sharma said, adding that northern and central India will have to wait 10 more days for the rains.

The department said the monsoon had also advanced over parts of the western state of Maharashtra, nearby Gujarat and regions of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh state.

The blistering heatwave blanketing the eastern state of West Bengal lifted partially Tuesday as monsoon showers pushed down temperatures to bearable levels from a high of 51.1 C (123.9 F) Sunday in the district of Purulia, said weather department officials in Kolkata.

At least 23 people have died during the heatwave in the state.

In Orissa state south of West Bengal, which reported the largest number of heat-related deaths at 82, the rains also brought relief with no new deaths reported Tuesday.

In the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, where the heatwave has so far claimed 11 lives, dark monsoon clouds produced rain and cool breezes across major cities.

Many office workers took a day off in Mumbai in Maharastra state and romped through rain-drenched streets as it rained for the third straight day in the financial capital, which is home to almost 20 million.

The monsoon rains are not scheduled to reach parched areas of central and northern India until June 29. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh has reported 79 deaths from heat and 22 have died in the northeastern state of Bihar.

The capital New Delhi, with 14 million people, was still gripped by a heatwave along with the rest of India's arid northern plains. The temperature was at 45 C (113 F) for the second straight day Tuesday.

The government has put the number of heat-related deaths across India since early June at 218, with no new deaths reported Tuesday.

Heavy rains are already reported from parts of the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

The monsoon, which drenches the subcontinent from June to September and is key to the agriculture-dependent economy, normally progresses steadily north from the southwestern state of Kerala - allowing farmers to sow summer crops.

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HEAT WAVE

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