Temperatures hit 48.5°C in a small town in India, 99 dead from sunstroke-related ailments

Think it's hot in Singapore? You've got another think coming.

Nyi Nyi Thet | May 05, 2016, 12:19 PM

This is the town of Titlagarh:

Screenshot from Google Maps Screenshot from Google Maps

It slightly more than 31,000 people living there, and it's part of a larger district called Balangir, within a larger state called Odisha.

And yes, it's somewhat to the eastern part of India:

Screenshot from Google Maps Screenshot from Google Maps

It was also once named the hottest place in India, apart from the Thar desert. Check out their average temperatures between 1971 and 2000 (average, mind you):

Source: Indian Meteorological Department via Wikipedia Source: Indian Meteorological Department via Wikipedia

According to an article in the Hindustan Times, temperatures there have hit an all-time high for the month of April: 48.5°C.

The unprecedented heatwave has already seen 99 deaths from sunstroke-related ailments.

According to local congress member Upendra Bag, "there is an undeclared curfew in Titlagarh after 10am. If you go out, you are either a very brave person or you are an outsider."

The townspeople try to finish their chores by 10am, and rush back home, only stepping out of their house again after sundown.

Congressman Upendra added, "Though summers are usually hot in Titlagarh, this time it feels like living in a furnace."

He isn't exaggerating. The town has seen its fair share of unreal temperatures, the worst of it being 2003's 50.1°C.

Aside from the heat, there are a number of factors contributing to the massive heatwave.

The air conditioners in the town aren't equipped to deal with the intensity of the heat as well as the length of time they are used. Meanwhile, constant power outages and low voltages do nothing to alleviate the townspeople's plight.

Locals also believe the small hills surrounding the town serve as heat radiators, which add a few notches to the temperature in Titlagarh.

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