A heat wave sweeping parts of India, including the capital New Delhi, has left more than 500 people dead.
The death toll was likely to rise, officials told the AFP.
"The majority of the victims are people who have been exposed to the sun directly, usually aged 50 and above and from the working classes," said P Tulsi Rani, special commissioner of Andhra Pradesh's disaster management department.
"We are asking them to take precautions like using an umbrella, using a cap, taking a huge quantity of liquids like water and buttermilk, and wearing cotton clothing."
The states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been hardest hit. At least 325 people have died in Andhra Pradesh in the last week, while an additional 204 people have died in Telangana, the AFP reported.
Temperatures in Telangana climbed to more than 118 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, while roads and markets were deserted in all of the major cities and towns in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with people staying indoors to avoid the heat.
Nasir, a security guard at Big Bazaar, said people were coming into the mall to escape the skyrocketing heat. "We see more and more people walk in, spend some time here and walk out without buying anything. But we understand. It's terribly hot outside," he told the Times of India.
"Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions would prevail" in many parts of the country during the week, the India Meteorological Department stated in its forecast bulletin.
Authorities predicted the situation should improve with the monsoon rains, which usually reach the southeastern coast in the first week of June.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press
