On the Radar: India's rising heatwaves

April was a hot month for India.

Across the states of West Bengal, Binhar, and Andhra Pradesh, temperatures were reaching around 40 degrees Celsius in the middle of the month, roughly 5 degrees above average.

Overall, about 60 percent of India recorded above-normal maximum temperatures for April, according to the India Meteorological Department, with some areas reaching temperatures close to 50 degrees. 

Heatwaves like this have been making global headlines for India in the past – in March last year, the country saw its hottest month in 122 years with an average temperature of 33.1 degrees Celsius - and the forecast is only looking worse. 

A recent report led by University of Cambridge researcher Ramit Debnath shows that increasing ‘lethal’ heatwaves will burden India’s health and agriculture industries more than originally anticipated.

While heatwaves are a natural part of India’s weather systems of India, they are becoming longer, more frequent, and more intense as the effects of climate change continue to grow.

Public health suffers. Hospitalisations increase, as do heat-related deaths - a study published in the medical journal Lancet in late 2022 reported a 55 percent rise in deaths due to extreme heat between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021.

Other industries also feel the strain – agriculture, energy and water sectors, as well as parts of the economy - while people living in poverty are disproportionally affected, as they often work in labour-intensive jobs outside in the hottest hours.

Public information campaigns have been underway to educate people about staying cool during these extreme weather events, however these measures only help so much, with calls for the government to improve heat management plans.

- Asia Media Centre