India: Andra Pradesh burns as heatwave continues and over 1,000 perish

Houses burned and lives were lost as the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh continued to suffer a brutal heatwave, Thursday. In the state alone, 1,020 people have died since May 18. The extreme temperatures, which reached 48C (118F) over the weekend, have caused house fires and have sent of Indians to the beaches in search of the relief of the sea. Overall almost 1,500 people have died across the country, making this summer's heatwave one of the worst in several years. The 1,020 deaths in Andhra Pradesh are over double the amount of heat related deaths reported in the state in 2014. Local officials stated that the temperature is two to five degrees higher than the seasonal average. The most vulnerable are the region's poorer people. Many of whom have no access to air conditioners and have to carry on working despite the terrible conditions. Indian meteorologists are predicting that the weekend will bring the relief of rainfall, though maximum temperatures are forecast to remain high until then.