The current heat wave has already claimed 16 victims in north India's Uttar Pradesh since last week, Indo-Asian News Service reported Monday.

"The heat is bound to increase in the coming days, so the toll will naturally go up," said Uttar Pradesh's relief commissioner Renuka Kumar.

The highest number of deaths was reported from two cities Allahabad and Faizabad, where five people each had succumbed to the scorching heat.

"This is an annual feature and there is little that can be done to prevent nature's fury," Kumar said, adding that the state government will give 100,000 rupees to families of each heat wave victim.

Although some places of the state have undergone very high temperature, for example 45 degrees Celsius, one to three degrees higher than usual, the state capital Lucknow recorded a drop of four degrees on Monday.

Source: Xinhua