North India is currently experiencing record-breaking heat, with reports predicting that similar events will become 45 times more likely in the future.
Despite being accustomed to scorching heat waves, India is struggling with rising temperatures that are becoming increasingly unbearable – leading to deadly consequences.
Delhi recorded temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius in May, while heat waves swept through other northern states of India. Experts predict that summer temperatures in India will continue to rise.
As many as 61 people have died due to the current heat wave, including 33 individuals on election duty and one voter in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s most populous state, along with eight others on election duty in the neighboring state of Bihar.
Heat waves like the current one are expected to be 45 times more likely in the coming years.
The Indian Meteorological Department issued an orange alert (warning people to “prepare”) on June 1, the last day of voting. The scorching summer winds have reduced voter turnout to 61.63%, down 3.5% from 2019.
Concerningly, the latest World Weather Attribution report released last month predicts that such heat waves could occur 45 times more frequently (compared to pre-industrial times) in the coming years, primarily due to human-induced climate change.
Mr. D. Himanshu from King George’s Medical University in Lucknow stated that the body’s “thermoregulatory sensors” – responsible for controlling temperature by inducing sweating – cease to function when temperatures rise above 47 or 48 degrees Celsius. Body temperature will then continue to climb.
“If a person does not drink enough water, sweating will stop, and the situation becomes more severe. If body temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, the individual may experience fever due to heat stroke. This fever arises from a malfunction of the thermoregulation system rather than from immune response, rendering common fever-reducing medications like acetaminophen ineffective,” he added.
Mrs. Renuka Keshwan, a public school teacher on election duty during the fifth phase on May 20 in Lucknow, commented: “It is unbearable with just a ceiling fan. Managing large crowds and ensuring fair elections is a significant challenge. After two consecutive days of working over 16 hours, I developed a high fever due to the heat.”
School Closures
According to the WWA report, while climate change makes the heat wave in April in India 45 times more likely, other neighboring countries, especially those in South, West, and Southeast Asia, may face even worse conditions in the future.
“In the current climate, with a 1.2 degrees Celsius warming since pre-industrial times due to human activity, such extreme heat phenomena are not rare,” the report stated.
Bangladesh and Pakistan are experiencing heat waves disrupting daily life, leading to school closures and widening educational gaps. India currently has a secondary school dropout rate of 12.6%, but this rate may rise alongside the heat.
The report stated: “Extreme heat has forced thousands of schools in South and Southeast Asia to close. These regions have previously closed schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the educational gap faced by children from low-income families, increasing dropout risk, and adversely affecting human resource development.”
Additionally, the report noted that Western Asia and the Philippines may experience such heat waves once every ten years, particularly under El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. The report asserts that the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves are due to human-induced climate change.
The report warns of adverse impacts on informal workers such as vegetable vendors, farm laborers, construction workers, drivers, and fishermen.
