印度官員18日稱，印度近期持續遭遇熱浪襲擊，首都新德里17日最高氣溫接近44攝氏度，創下52年以來4月氣溫新高；4月份全國至少有80人死于高溫天氣。印度東部的奧里薩邦學校定于20日起停課，提前開始暑假。有官員同時表示，在接下來的48小時內，印度北部、西北部以及中部地區仍將持續高溫天氣。這預示著新德里和該國東部、北部地區即將邁入一個異常炎熱的夏天。如此高溫天氣或將對農業生產帶來影響。印度面粉加工商聯盟秘書長指出，今年小麥的實際產量可能會比先前預計的數字減少100至150萬噸。

An Indian woman covers her head with a stole on a hot day in New Delhi on April 16. India sizzled Monday in a heatwave that has sent temperatures in the national capital soaring to their highest levels for April in 50 years. (Agencies)

A severe heatwave sweeping India, with temperatures of almost 44oC, the highest in 52 years, has killed at least 80 people this month, officials said on Sunday.

The scorching weather, which officials say would continue over northern, north-western and central India in the next 48 hours, also may have some impact on wheat production, exporters and flour-mill associations said.

New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7oC on Saturday, presaging a hot summer in the next two months in the nation's capital and other parts of northern and eastern India.

The highest temperature in the past 24 hours was 47oC at Ganganagar city, in Rajasthan state.

Summer temperatures have been 4oC-6oC above normal over most parts of northern and central India since March, weather officials said.

Schools closed

In the eastern state of Orissa, authorities have decided to shut down schools from next Tuesday, advancing the annual summer holiday.

Authorities said they were investigating reports of 53 deaths from various parts of the state.

"District collectors have been asked to investigate and submit reports on other deaths," Bhimsen Gochhayat, a government official, said.

Other deaths were reported from northern state of Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh states.

India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of wheat in 2009-2010, but there could be a shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the heatwave, said Veena Sharma, Secretary General of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India.

Monsoon

"Most of the harvesting is over, but there definitely will be a slight shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the extreme weather conditions," she told Reuters.

India is relying on a bumper wheat crop to make up for a 14.2% drop in rice output, the major summer-sown food grain, marred by the worst monsoon in 37 years last year.

"The time it (wheat) normally takes to get ripe has been shortened and as a result the size of the grain could be smaller with a marginal effect on production," D P Singh, president of the All India Grain Exporters Association, said on Sunday.

Weather officials say with summer temperatures in India set to remain above average, there were hopes of heavy rains at the start of the monsoon season that will help early sowing of rice, soybeans and lentils.

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）