Banda, India Endures Record Heat as Temperatures Near 50°C

Banda, a town in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, has recorded temperatures as high as 48.2 °C this summer, approaching the 50 °C mark that defines the planet’s hottest places. Residents must begin work as early as 4 a.m. to avoid the extreme midday heat, often sleeping on train platforms in search of any breeze. Power cuts are frequent, forcing families to rely on water sprays and fans that cannot run continuously.

The searing heat has overloaded the local hospital, with patients arriving in the afternoons and evenings suffering from heat‑related ailments such as fainting, heatstroke and dehydration. Market stalls are busy in the early hours as traders rush to sell vegetables before temperatures soar. The daily routine, from childcare to livestock care, is dominated by the need to stay cool and survive the oppressive conditions.