A man sits under a makeshift shed amid heat wave conditions on a hot summer day, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday, April 26.
Hyderabad: An 89-year-old woman in Mahabubabad, a 17-year-old student in Suryapet, a daily wage worker at a paddy procurement centre, an unidentified woman found collapsed at a bus stand — these are not numbers in a government tally, but the human cost of a single day in Telangana baking under a relentless heatwave that claimed at least 22 lives on Thursday, May 21, even as the India Meteorological Department warned that the worst may not be over.
The toll was spread across more than a dozen districts. In Mahabubabad, three people died – Kesa Lachamma, 89, from Kotha Irsulapuram village, woman farmer Gugulothu Amrutha, 54, from Hanumannagar Thanda and Gade Komuramma, 95, from Kalvala in Kesamudram mandal.
In Hanamkonda, Gannoj Anil, 25, from Keshavapur in Elkathurthi mandal died of sunstroke. Agricultural labourer Nampalli Sakkamma, 58, from Mogullapalli mandal of Bhupalpally district and Dudapaka Pochayya, 60, originally from Challagarige in Chityal mandal but residing in Kazipet, also died. In Mulugu district, 85-year-old Madari Laxmi from Eturunagaram mandal and an unidentified woman, around 55 years old, were found dead near the Mulugu bus stand. Yakoob Pasha, 45, from Bagirthipeta village in Regonda mandal also lost his life.
In Suryapet, Intermediate student Bommidi Venkatesh, 17, from Siripuram in Nadigudem mandal died, as did Charlapalli Somaiah, 65, a hamali working at a paddy procurement centre in Tungaturthi. Beedimadla Ramulu, 70, died in Nalgonda’s Munugode mandal, and Cherukuri Rajalingam (75) in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri.
In Mancherial, 61-year-old MD Chand Bee and 62-year-old Dasari Rajaiah from Old Mancherial died due to the heat. Others who lost their lives included Kondareddy, 75, from Jogulamba Gadwal, Prabhakar Reddy, 50, from Medak, Poodari Srinivas, 48, from Jagtial, Ravulapalli Radhakrishna, 42, from Ramagundam, employment guarantee worker Pochayya, 60, from Karimnagar’s Gangadhara mandal, Tipparaveni Kanakamma, 90, from Karimnagar, and 51-year-old Kothapalli Seetha from Khammam city.
The IMD has forecast temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius across several districts over the next three days, with the intense heat expected to persist through Sunday, May 24.
The weather department has issued a red alert for 18 districts of Hanumakonda, Jagtial, Jangaon, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Karimnagar, Khammam, Komaram Bheem, Mahabubabad, Mancherial, Mulugu, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla, Suryapet, Wanaparthy, Warangal and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri. An orange alert has been issued for Hyderabad, where temperatures are also expected to remain elevated.
Residents have been advised to avoid going outdoors between 11 am and 4 pm and to stay hydrated.
Sunstroke is a serious heat-related condition in which the body’s temperature rises rapidly after prolonged exposure to extreme heat or direct sunlight. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, dehydration, high body temperature, weakness and confusion. In severe cases, it can cause unconsciousness and prove fatal if medical help is not sought immediately. Drinking plenty of water and staying indoors during peak afternoon hours are among the key precautions.
This post was last modified on May 22, 2026 10:39 am