Sweltering in heat wave, India braces for higher temperatures
INDIA: Life-threatening heat waves arrived in India a month earlier than normal, shattering temperature records with highs reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) — and it will only get hotter.
The worst of the heat wave is expected late this week into this weekend with high temperatures approaching 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit (5-8 degrees Celsius) above normal across northern and northwestern India as well as parts of Pakistan.
Over one billion people will be subjected to excessive heat — 10% of the world’s population, according to Scott Duncan, an extreme climate expert.
This region, including New Delhi, could endure temperatures in the mid to upper 40s Celsius — which means temperatures over 110 and up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit are possible.
Little to no relief will come during the overnight hours as minimum temperatures will not dip below 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) in many areas.
Prolonged periods of warm nights can prove deadly as they limit the body’s ability to recover from daytime heat.
This presents a major problem for India’s population as a large portion lives without air conditioning, creating a life-threatening situation, particularly for the elderly.
Bahmer, a city in India, already recorded a high temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius — a whopping 113 degrees Fahrenheit — on Tuesday.
On the same day, a station in Pakistan tied the record for the highest maximum temperature in the Northern Hemisphere at 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius), according to Maximiliano Herrera, an expert on climate extremes.
Extremely sweltering March breaks 122-year-old temperature record. Leading up to the current extreme swell, temperatures were steadily above average for March and April.
The average maximum temperature for India as a whole recorded in March 2022 was the highest recorded in the past 122 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This year’s March high-temperature average was 91.58 degrees Fahrenheit (33.10 Celsius), just barely edging out the previous record from 2010 of 91.56 degrees Fahrenheit (33.09 Celsius).
– EAST BAY TIMES