How India’s heatwave is pushing the limits of human endurance
Dozens are thought to have died, schools have been forced to close and taps have run dry
![People rest in the shade under a bridge](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dUM8dv9XmzSUDHHwpDkoxX-415-80.jpg)
“India has been in the grip of what seems like an eternity of heatwaves,” said The Hindu (Chennai). The punishment started in March; then followed the hottest April in 122 years in central and northwest India. Since then, temperatures in some Indian cities have regularly exceeded 45C, while parts of Pakistan have recorded highs in excess of 47C.
Dozens of people are thought to have died, schools have been forced to close, and taps have run dry. In late April, a landfill site in New Delhi spontaneously combusted, sending noxious fumes into the sky. Surging demand for electricity to run air conditioning systems has led to power outages lasting up to eight hours a day; crops have been scorched. And to compound the misery, “there is little respite expected” in the worst-hit areas until June, when monsoon rains should finally arrive.
“Heatwaves are common at this time of year,” said Sandhya Ramesh in The Print (New Delhi). May and June are India’s hottest months. But conditions have been uniquely harsh this year, thanks to a “heat dome” over south Asia – a lingering area of high pressure that traps warm air beneath it like a lid on a pan.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In drier areas, surface (as opposed to air) temperatures have exceeded 60C, contributing to a sharp uptick in forest fires. But in humid areas, conditions have become nearly impossible for humans to endure, said The Statesman (Kolkata). Public health officials talk about “wet bulb” temperatures – measured by wrapping a thermometer in a wet cloth. These give a rough idea of how the human body will cope. In dry heat, evaporation lowers the temperature. But in high humidity, the water can’t evaporate, so there is no cooling effect.
On 1 May, the wet bulb temperature in Chennai, in India’s southeast, hit 31C, making physical activity dangerous. If it were to reach 35C, our bodies would not be able to cope. Even the fittest people would die in about six hours.
Clearly, we can no longer bat away the brutal realities of climate change, said Pratap Bhanu Mehta in The Indian Express (Noida). In 2019, The Lancet estimated 356,000 people died due to excess heat globally. With temperatures soaring, that figure will only go up.
Many Indian cities now have “heat action plans”, said The Economist. Work shifts are changed to keep people out of the sun; extra medical centres are opened; roofs are painted with reflective paint. But there’s only so much that can be done. Unless carbon emissions are reduced, “heatwaves will keep getting more severe and harder to adapt to”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
One Aldwych: where London's creative spirit takes centre stage
The Week Recommends This five-star Covent Garden hotel is the epitome of elegant independence
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Charlotte Dujardin and equestrianism's dark side
In the Spotlight Olympic gold medallist and dressage star's suspension over horse whipping brings abuse in horse sports back into the spotlight
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Roman epic Those About to Die has split the critics
Talking Point Sword and sandals miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins puts spectacle above story
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
The Earth just saw its hottest day on record
Speed Read July 21, 2024 was the hottest day in recorded global history
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How loss of India's vultures might have led to half a million deaths
Under the Radar Near extinction of the invaluable carrion eaters in 1990s left cattle carcasses piled up and disease spreading widely
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Decarbonising the national grid
The Explainer In theory, Britain's electricity grid will be carbon neutral by 2035. What will that involve? Is it even possible?
By The Week UK Published
-
Earth broke heat records 12 months straight
Speed Read As global temperatures surpass past measurements, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls for action to prevent ‘climate hell’
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Right to roam: the battle to access England's green spaces
The Explainer A battle is being fought over access to England's green spaces
By The Week UK Published
-
The growing thirst for camel milk
Under the radar Climate change and health-conscious consumers are pushing demand for nutrient-rich product – and the growth of industrialised farming
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why curbing methane emissions is tricky in fight against climate change
The Explainer Tackling the second most significant contributor to global warming could have an immediate impact
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
India's controversial plans for untouched Nicobar Isles
Under the radar Experts say $9bn development will threaten the existence of remote island's nomadic inhabitants
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published