The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also noted that about 2,000 people have been killed in India by this weather condition with the worst-affected states being Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where maximum temperatures have hovered around a searing 45 degrees Celsius.

It said climate records show that human-induced global warming had turned 2014 into the hottest year on record while eight out of the 10 warmest years in India were during the recent past decade (2001-2010), making it the warmest decade on record with a decadal mean temperature anomaly of 0.49 °C.

"More heatwaves were expected as globally temperatures have risen by an average .8 degrees in the past 100 years. Night-time temperatures are rising too, with Ahmedabad and Delhi recently reporting 39 and 36 degrees centigrade. The number of heatwave days may go up from about 5 to between 30 and 40 every year," a CSE statement said.

The Delhi-based green advocacy and research body said there is also enough evidence of extreme weather events being on the "rise". It noted that although compared to 2010, heatwave conditions in 2015 so far have been of a shorter duration, yet with a higher death toll. "This could be due to the sudden change in temperatures after a prolonged wet February and March that had kept the temperatures cool," said Arjuna Srinidhi, programme manager, climate change, CSE.

Due to unprecedented heatwave conditions, the Health Ministry has also extended assistance and medical aid to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it has claimed nearly 1,400 lives, and is likely to come out with an advisory for all states to deal with the situation.

Cities feel the brunt of the elevated temperatures, because of the magnified effect of paved surfaces and a lack of tree cover which is known as the "urban heat island effect".

"Urban heat island effects can make ambient temperatures feel 3 to 4 degrees more than what they are," said Srinidhi.

CSE said that owing to the rising temperatures, ultra violet (UV) rays are emerging as a "serious menace" for people's health.

A story by Down To Earth magazine also cited data from the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) to show that in several cities including Delhi, UV rays are above normal. IITM set up a monitoring system in Delhi two weeks ago and has found that UV rays are ranging between 6 and 9 on the UV index - this carries medium to high health risk, CSE said.

Beach buffer!

People in Visakhapatnam flocked to a beach on Thursday to get some respite from the heat. Unable to bear the hot winds and the humidity, a lot of people are heading to the beach. "The temperatures are very high during night as well. People are feeling troubled. So, most people come out to the beach to chill out," said Priyadarshini, a tourist.

No respite at all

*Andhra Pradesh and Telangana continued to reel under the heatwave that claimed 65 lives on Thursday, taking the toll to over 1,400 in the two Telugu states

*Khammam and Nizamabad in Telangana recorded 47 degree Celsius, as did Nandigama and Ongole in Andhra Pradesh

* In Maharashtra, Chandrapur recorded the highest temperature of 47 degrees and Nagpur came second with 46 degrees

*A heatwave is declared when the temperature is five degrees or more than the average temperature recorded on that particular day over the last three decades