Indian voters battle extreme temperatures as intense heat wave hits region

New Delhi CNN —

Indian voters are battling sweltering conditions to take part in the world’s biggest election as a severe heat wave hits parts of the country and authorities forecast a hotter-than-normal summer for the South Asian nation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a heat wave will affect parts of south and east India until the end of the week, including four states that are voting on Friday.

Parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are among 13 states and union territories voting in the second phase of India’s mammoth elections, with temperatures forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas.

On Thursday, Baripada in the eastern state of Odisha hit 43.6 C (110.4 F) and Telangana’s Khammam in the south reached 43.4 C (110.1 F), according to the IMD, which warned last month that India would likely see stronger and longer heat waves this year due to above-normal temperatures.

Gandhi Ray, a farmer in his 60s from eastern Bihar state, said he lives in a small hut in the forest, and will walk to a nearby village to vote.

Temperatures above 41 C (105 F) are forecast every day until May 1 in his hometown of Banka district, according to the IMD.

“It’s important for me to vote but definitely every day this heat is getting worse and worse,” he told CNN. “I work outdoors mostly so I am used to it but as I get older it becomes harder to cope. Now my kids have taken over most of the work.”

A man wipes his face during a hot day in New Delhi on April 21, 2024.

High temperatures have raised concern this election cycle, as campaigns marked by outdoor political rallies draw thousands of people under the baking sun. The issue was underscored Wednesday, when one