Canada issues travel advisory for its citizens on Indian heat wave

Northwest and Central India experienced hottest April in 122 years, with high temperatures forecast to continue in May.

Canada has issued a travel advisory on heat wave and power outages in India, asking its citizens to follow instructions of local health authorities.

“A heatwave (sic) is affecting India. The heatwave has caused wildfires, power outages and damaged harvests. Wildfires may also affect transportation, leading to train service suspension and highway closures,” said the Canadian advisory on Wednesday.

It urged Canadian citizens to stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities especially in areas affected by smoke from wildfires and asks them to be prepared for change in travel plans on short notice including cutting short or cancelling the trip.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators however does not see a significant impact of this advisory on tourist arrivals. “Indian government is currently not issuing e-visas to Canadians and this has limited the number of tourists travelling to India,” said Rajiv Mehra, president of IATO.

The Indian Meteorological Department in its latest update has said that Northwest and Central India experienced hottest April in 122 years with average maximum temperatures reaching 35.9 and 37.7 degrees Celsius. The department has also predicted that states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana would experience above normal temperatures in May as well.