India sets new heat record as temperatures soar https://t.co/cAxj4DrX8Jpic.twitter.com/0CRUACgSyK
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 20, 2016
It got hot in the central Indian town of Phalodi on Thursday. Very hot. Or 123.8 degrees Fahrenheit hot.
That's a new record for the country, besting a previous mark that had stood for 60 years.
Power use surged as residents cranked up air conditioners, and zoo animals were given cold baths, according to Agence France-Presse. But there may not be much relief for a while: Temperatures on Friday peaked at 115 degrees, and Saturday's forecast was for highs of 110.
Further, this year's monsoon won't arrive until mid-June at the earliest, meaning that, for now, residents will have to make do.
Heat waves are frequently deadly in India, already claiming dozens of lives this year, according to the BBC. Last year more than 2,400 people died because of the heat.