At least seven people, including two women, collapsed and died in New Delhi on Wednesday as temperatures here reached a sauna-like 113 degrees Fahrenheit. That and another 16 deaths elsewhere in India brought the number of deaths from the heat wave to more than 300 over the past two months, officials said.

In neighbouring Pakistan, residents sweated in 118 degree weather. The heat left more than 60 people dead this week. In Bangladesh 32 people have died.

Meteorologists said temperatures in India were unusually high for June, at least 10 degrees above the normal range for the month.

Hot weather was found elsewhere in Asia, too. In fast developing China, some residents put their new prosperity to use by flicking on air conditioning units. Power use in Beijing hit a record high as temperatures there passed 108 degrees, reports said Thursday.