India, April 27 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued orange and yellow alerts as a heatwave swept across vast swathes of the country, with temperatures soaring up to 44degC in several regions.

Maximum temperatures are ranging between 42-45degC across multiple states including Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, northwest Telangana, north Chhattisgarh, north interior Odisha, northwest and southeast Jharkhand, west Gangetic West Bengal, southwest Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, south Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and south Punjab, the IMD said. On Saturday, Kanpur recorded a maximum temperature 44.4degC; Prayagraj 44.8degC; Sultanpur 44.8degC; Varanasi 44.2degC; Gaya 44.6degC; Jharsuguda 44.7degC; and De...