Temperatures across northern, central and western India are straddling the 45-degree Celsius mark, in what the country’s meteorological department has described as a severe heatwave.

But it's not so much the intense warmth that has surprised them as its timing. Temperatures like this weren’t expected until next month.

The heatwave is widespread, and is even affecting places which are not accustomed to such high temperatures.

The north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh - considered a getaway for people in times of fierce heat - has recorded its second highest temperature in almost two decades.

"There has been a rise in temperatures over the past few days. Today, the minimum temperature recorded in Shimla was 19.8 degree Celsius, which is the second highest temperature since 1999,” Manmohan Singh, director of the Shimla Meteorological Center, told CGTN.

However, India’s Met Department expects seasonal monsoons to be on time this year, which is some consolation after a few years of devastating droughts.

Indian summers can be deadly, especially when they go beyond the norm. As many as 700 people died last year, which was the warmest year ever globally. ‍