40 die of sunstroke in eastern India

A man walks along a road with his face covered to protect himself from the sun during a hot summer day in New Delhi, India, June 8, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW DELHI - At least 40 people have died of sun stroke over the past few days in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, said officials on Monday.

Meanwhile, the national capital Delhi registered an average of 42 degrees Celsius on Monday, and hot weather was also reported in many other parts of the country despite the arrival of the Monsoon rains in south India last weekend.

At least 2,360 have died of heat wave across the country since late May, mostly in southeastern India, said officials.

A delay of the arrival of the Monsoon which hit the country's southern state Kerala last weekend was partially blamed for the unusual heat waves, but experts say the climate change and global warming are the major factors for the extreme weather conditions here.

Indian Meteorological Department predicted rains or thundershowers in a few places in the next 24 hours, but the heat is not expected to see any relief in coming days.