High Heat: On India and Warming

📌 Summary:

• India is experiencing record-breaking heat waves in April 2026, with temperatures in parts of Rajasthan, UP, and Delhi exceeding 45°C
• The editorial situates the 2026 heat in a longer trend: IMD data shows India's average temperature has risen by ~0.7°C since 1901
• Heat waves are now more frequent, more intense, and last longer — consistent with IPCC AR6 projections for South Asia
• Health impacts: excess mortality from heat stress disproportionately affects outdoor workers (farmers, construction labourers), elderly, and urban poor
• Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect amplifies temperatures in cities: concrete surfaces, loss of green cover, waste heat from AC units compound natural warming
• India's Heat Action Plans (HAPs): 23 states have HAPs but implementation is uneven; early warning systems and cool shelters remain inadequate
• Agriculture impact: wheat crops in North India face terminal heat stress during grain-filling stage (March-April), threatening food security
• Editorial call for action: expand HAPs to all districts, strengthen cool shelter networks, green urban spaces, integrate heat risk in NDMA disaster protocols
• Long-term: India's NDC target of reducing emissions intensity by 45% by 2030 must be matched with urgent adaptation measures