A severe heatwave is sweeping across India’s Uttar Pradesh state, prompting the meteorological department to issue a red alert in ten districts. The affected areas include Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Bhadohi, and Jaunpur. Authorities have advised residents to avoid going outdoors unless absolutely necessary, as dangerously high temperatures are expected to persist throughout Friday.

An orange alert has been declared for 34 districts including Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, and Agra, while 17 districts such as Lucknow, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Sitapur, and Lakhimpur Kheri are under a yellow alert. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures in eastern Uttar Pradesh may rise by another 2–3 degrees Celsius within the next 48 hours.

On Thursday, Banda recorded the state’s highest temperature at 47.6°C, followed by Prayagraj at 46.6°C and Varanasi (BHU) at 45.6°C. The IMD explained that yellow alerts indicate monitoring conditions, orange alerts warn of prolonged heat, and red alerts signal extreme danger to public health.