Feeling the heat: India burned in June-Aug, its second-hottest quarter since 1970, claims report

New Delhi: India experienced its second-hottest quarter from June to August this year since 1970, with over one-third of the country’s population enduring at least seven days of dangerous heat, according to a new report by a US-based group of climate scientists and communicators.

The report from Climate Central said climate change made high temperatures over three times more likely on 29 days during these three months. “June through August 2024 was India’s second-hottest season since at least 1970, when reliable satellite records are available,” the report said, adding that India had the highest number of people exposed to climate change-driven temperatures in Southern Asia during this period.

More than 20.5 million people endured high temperatures heavily influenced by climate change for at least 60 days, it said. More than 426 million people (about one-third of India’s population) faced at least seven days of dangerous heat, with temperatures exceeding 90 per cent of the usual highs for their areas from 1991 to 2020, the scientists said.

Globally, over 2 billion people (25 per cent of the global population) experienced 30 or more days of extreme heat, made at least three times more likely by climate change.

Several cities in India saw many days where temperatures were heavily influenced by climate change. Cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Vasai-Virar, Kavaratti, Thane, Mumbai, and Port Blair were the most affected, with each experiencing over 70 days of temperatures made at least three times more likely due to climate change.

Mumbai recorded 54 days of extreme heat caused by climate change. Meanwhile, Kanpur and Delhi experienced long periods of dangerously high temperatures, with average temperatures above 39 degrees Celsius, made four times more likely by climate change, the report added. “High temperatures that were clearly influenced by climate change jeopardised the health of billions around the world during the past three months,” Andrew Pershing, vice-president for science at Climate Central, said.

Vaibhav Pratap Singh, Executive Director, Climate and Sustainability Initiative (CSI), said the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident for people and businesses across the country. “Each year, we are experiencing more severe climate-related events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves, which are causing significant harm to lives and livelihoods.

“It is crucial to conduct assessments of how different levels of global warming are affecting our environment and combine this with an understanding of how it impacts people, jobs, and industries, including agriculture. This will help us identify the specific adaptation needs for different regions,” he said.

The world is witnessing weather extremes due to a combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino and human-caused climate change. With global temperatures for the January-August period recorded at 0.70 degrees Celsius above the 1991–2020 average, scientists said it is increasingly likely that 2024 will be the warmest year on record.