NEW DELHI, June 9: Eighteen people died in northern India as temperatures soared on Saturday, a news report said.

The northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which is one of India's poorest, was the worst hit with 15 deaths, the Press Trust of India reported. Agra recorded the state's highest temperature of 47 degrees Celsius.

Two people died in northern Punjab state, and another died in neighbouring Haryana, the report said. So far, heat has killed 53 people since the end of April, the news agency said.“The weather conditions are likely to continue for the next 24 hours.

Humidity is also very high,” said K.P. Kulshreshtha, the head of the regional weather office in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.—AFP