The death toll from a major heatwave sweeping India inches close to 2,000 - the highest recorded in at least two decades - and authorities in New Delhi have ordered hospitals to treat heatstroke victims immediately.
May and June are typically the hottest months in India, but the past week has been scorching hot. The highest temperture recorded on Wednesday (May 27) was 47 degrees Celsius in the eastern states of Jharkhand and Odisha.
The searing heat has hit southern India the hardest. So far, more than 1,000 people have died in the state of Andhra Pradesh, reports said.
Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have launched a campaign, urging people to stay indoors between 1pm and 4pm - the time when the sun is at its peak - and advising them to wear a cap and loose clothing to prevent heatstrokes, and to drink lots of fluid.
From severely dried-up crops to trucks unloading tons of watermelons, these photographs depict ways locals seek cool comfort to battle the Indian heatwave.
