In may 2010 many hundreds of people died during a heat wave in Ahmedabad, one of India's fastest-growing cities, located in the western state of Gujarat. With temperatures peaking at 116 degrees Fahrenheit, the death count reached 300 one day that month. Three years later, the city has transformed itself. Multicolored heat advisories decorate Ahmedabad's ubiquitous auto rickshaws and the sides and backs of buses as well as billboards in busy commercial areas, and pamphlets with heat-related health tips have been distributed to schoolchildren. In May, generally the hottest month in Ahmedabad, local newspapers published frequent stories and ads urging residents to stay indoors, drink water, and avoid exerting themselves. Residents also received heat alerts via radio and text message.
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