Despite the onset of the monsoon in several parts of the country, India continues to reel under a brutal heat wave that has now lasted more than two months and claimed dozens of lives.

On Monday, temperatures rose to more than 47°C (116.6°F) in the western state of Rajasthan — which also recorded India’s hottest day ever at 123.8°F last month — the Press Trust of India reported.

Some respite is expected, however, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting the onset of annual rains, called the Southwest Monsoon, across India later this week. Local Met departments in the capital Delhi, where temperatures rose to 42.6°C (108.7°F), also anticipated thunderstorms late Monday, as did authorities in other north Indian states like Punjab, Haryana and the union territory of Chandigarh.

More than 130 people have now died from the heat wave and resultant drought affecting large swathes of the country.

[NDTV]

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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com.