A total of 286 cases of heatstroke were reported across Maharashtra between March and May this year. Of these, six deaths were confirmed to be due to heatstroke while another five are suspected to be due to heatstroke.

State health department officials said the maximum cases were from Chattrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), which reported 46 heatstroke cases followed by 28 in Nandurbar, 22 in Gadchiroli and 20 in Nagpur. Wardha reported 20 cases while 18 cases each were reported from Amravati and Buldhana respectively. Fourteen cases each were reported from Nanded and Yavatmal while Akola reported nine cases of heatstroke.

As per data, deaths due to heatstroke have been confirmed in six cases: two each from Akola and Jalgaon and one each from Gadchiroli and Latur.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency and can be deadly if not treated quickly. This is a serious illness caused by extreme heat. It happens when the body can no longer control its temperature and stops sweating. As a result, the body cannot cool itself, and the temperature rises quickly. Symptoms can include confusion, trouble speaking, dizziness, fainting, loss of consciousness and a high body temperature.

Several parts of Maharashtra have witnessed intense heat and at some places like Brahmapuri in Vidarbha the highest maximum temperature recorded was 45.7 degrees Celsius on May 29. Places like Chandrapur, Wardha, Nagpur, Amravati and Washim have also recorded more than 43 to 44 degrees Celsius temperatures.

Pune too is seeing hot weather conditions with summer temperatures climbing to more than 40 degrees Celsius on some days. As per state health department data, Pune reported two cases of heatstroke while in the region Satara and Solapur reported one case each.