Y.K. Reddy, an Indian Meteorological Department director, says the heat wave is expected to continue in parts of worst-hit Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states for another 24 hours.
Heat-related conditions, including dehydration and heat stroke, have killed at least 1,490 people in Andhra Pradesh and 489 in Telangana.
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Daytime temperatures hovered between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius (104 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the two states on Saturday, after soaring to as high as 48 C (118 F) earlier in the week.
People across India have been plunging into rivers, staying in the shade and drinking lots of water to try to beat the heat.
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