Indian voters battle extreme temperatures as intense heat wave hits region

Indian voters are battling sweltering conditions to take part in the worlds 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.. ..

. Parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are among 13 states and union territories voting in the second phase of Indias 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 Telanganas 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 longerheat wavesthis 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.. ..

But analysts say climate has not featured as a major issue this election, despite being mentioned in the election manifestos of the two main parties the rulingBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) andthe Indian National Congress.. . Climate impacts do shape voter demands though this tends to filter through as anxieties about livelihood and continued welfare support, rather than in a neatly defined area of politics labeled climate, said Aditya Valiathan Pillai, fellow and coordinator for adaptation and resilience at theNew Delhi-based Sustainable Futures Collaborative, in a recent op-ed for CNN.. ..

Extreme heat has already had an impact across the region this year with little respite from merciless heat and humidity for hundreds of millions of people living in areas most vulnerable to climate change.. . . Neighboring Bangladesh is sweltering through a heat wave this week with prolonged temperatures above 40 C in many districts and no relief during record hot nights, according to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera..

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