Bengaluru:
With the maximum temperature touching 35.5 degrees Celsius on Monday, four degrees above normal for this time of the year, Bengaluru is scorching. The heat is likely to continue for at least another three to four days.
Bengalureans are not enjoying the early summer.
"Oh my God, temperature it is too hot, too hot," one young man crossing the road told NDTV.
Many people gathered near carts selling sugarcane juice or buttermilk. Shivakumar was cooling himself down at one such cart and said, "Last one week it is too hot, it is impossible to live here."
Although temperatures have often crossed 35 degrees in February, there is no doubt a feeling that things were cooler in the good old days. And that we are in many ways to blame as we head thirstily for cooling drinks.
Rudramurthy, another Bengalurean, said, "Those days had very good weather in Bengaluru. Nowadays very horrible. That is why we are having buttermilk."
Rupesh added, "Temperature is very high compared to what it was before. Due to that, people are having fruits, juice. This should not continue in future, people should try to plant more trees so that the temperature improves."
Manjunath believed greater awareness was the key to keeping things cool. "Climate is very horrible. People are not getting educated about the climate. Now only we are opening our eyes. We have to contribute to nature by planting trees, avoiding number of vehicles registering," he said.
Once, people used to say Bengaluru was an air-conditioned city where ceiling fans were not required even in summer. Right now it is certainly time to head for the shade.