As many as 66 people have died of sunstroke in Telangana so far since the onset of summer season this year, with temperature breaching the 40-degree mark at several places, the state government said.

Mahabubnagar, the state's largest district, accounted for the highest number of 28 deaths, followed by Medak (11), Nizamabad (7), Khammam and Karimnagar (five each), Adilabad and Warangal (four each) and Nalgonda (two), an official release said.

Telangana has been witnessing high temperatures for several days now and the highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius was recorded at Nalgonda during the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning, a release from the Meteorological office said

Hyderabad and other towns in the state have also witnessed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, it added. 

Last year, the two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra faced the fifth deadliest heatwave in the world and the second deadliest in India, with 85 people dying on a single day and the total deaths in the two states going up to 750.