Scorching Days, Warm Nights: Relentless Heatwave Hits India Hard |
Intense summer heat is not new for Indians. But the searing heat that one feels now, both during the day and at night, is certainly something that Indians have rarely experienced before. Day temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius and more, particularly in northern India, do make headlines, but what cannot be ignored is that nights are no longer sufficiently cool for the body to recover and restore its equilibrium. Equally concerning is the narrowing of the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures, which makes summer feel like a terribly hot and humid season long after the sunset.
What is unusual about this year’s summer, or the recent ones, is the gradual departure from the earlier pattern of summer heat—hot and humid afternoons, followed by a gradual decline in temperature towards the evening. This old rhythm of hotter days, softer evenings and cooler nights seems to have broken down. Whether in cities or smaller towns, there is no respite from heat, even after midnight, depriving bodies of recovery from persistent hot weather conditions, thus affecting sleep and increasing health risks. The unusual hot spell has several implications for individual health, livelihood, and the economy.
Last week, it was reported that fifty of the world’s hottest cities were in India, with the heatwave unlikely to soften till the next week, especially in the northern, western, central, and eastern regions. What’s more discomforting is the fact that the summer has been longer this year, with hot conditions setting in early and heatwaves observed in March itself. This has badly affected many people in urban and rural areas, who have to work........