Lengthy and extreme heatwave across India claimed at least 143 lives and left over 41,789 people grappling with suspected heatstroke between March 1 and June 18 this year, health ministry sources said. Uttar Pradesh reported 36 deaths followed by Bihar, Rajasthan and Odisha, according to the National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The numbers may be higher as the data is not the final submission from the states. The Centre released an advisory for states to start submitting daily the data on heatstroke cases and deaths and total deaths from March 1. They also should report heat-related illness and death surveillance. The advisory also called for maintenance of a digital line list of heatstroke cases and deaths (suspected/confirmed) at health facility/hospital level in given formats and undertaking, the report said.
More than 1,300 pilgrims die during Haj amid extreme heat in Saudi Arabia, where temperatures soared up to 51.8°C. Saudi authorities announced the toll on Sunday, revealing that most of the deceased were unauthorised pilgrims who lacked official permits and faced extreme heat without adequate shelter.
Pakistan’s Edhi ambulance service said it took around 568 people’s bodies to the Karachi city morgue over the past six days – up from its usual rate of 30-40 bodies a day. The news comes as temperatures in the city reached above 40°C, “with the high humidity making it feel as hot as 49°C”, the report stated. Indian Express reported that Karachi is running out of space in its mortuaries. The article noted that amid the heatwave, many residents are being forced to endure “long hours” of “load shedding” and power cuts.
Warm nights in Indian cities leapfrogged 32% over last decade due to climate change: Global report
The minimum temperature at night critically increased to a high average of 25°C over the past decade throughout India because of climate impacts, revealed a new global study.
Jalpaiguri in the Dooars of northern West Bengal were the worst affected cities, along with cities in Assam, DTE reported. The study covered around 300 Indian cities with populations of over 100,000. It found that, on average, the number of hot nights has increased around 32% due to climate impacts.
Indian cities, on average, had 718 nights during 2014-2023 when the minimum temperature reached 25°C, according to the analysis carried out by non-profit Climate Central and consulting initiative Climate Trends.
Climate crisis-induced extreme heat hit 600 million Indians in June: Report
Over 60% people globally faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by human-induced climate change in mid-June, according to rapid attribution analysis by scientists at Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators. Around 619 million people in India are estimated to have been affected by extreme heat between June 16 and June 24, and more than 40,000 suffered heatstroke. In China, around 579 million people were impacted, while this number was 231 million in Indonesia, it added. Temperatures approached 50°C, with a night-time low of 37°C, reportedly the highest ever recorded in India,” Climate Central said in a statement.
Delhi recorded 39 consecutive days with max temp at and above 40 C: Study
The number of days reaching 35°C in 20 of the world’s largest capitals–from Delhi to Jakarta to Buenos Aires—has risen 52% over the past three decades, an analysis by London-based IIED found on Friday.
More than 300 million people live in the world’s 20 most populous capital cities, where they are uniquely vulnerable to rising temperatures fuelled by climate change, as asphalt and buildings absorb and retain heat, an International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) study stated. The study added that Delhi alone documented its longest and most severe heatwave in 74 years, registering 39 consecutive days with maximum temperatures at or above 40°C from May 14 to June 21, according to weather station data. Indonesia’s Jakarta experienced the greatest absolute rise in the number of days over 35ºC, from 28 days between 1994 and 2003 to 167 in the most recent decade. Seoul, South Korea, went from nine days to 58, while Buenos Aires went from seven days to 35.
Monsoon remain weak, may revive in last week of June
Monsoon continued to be weak with some meteorologists flagging that it may revive only around last week of June. HT reported that in north India, the monsoon season has hardly progressed since June 11. There is a 20% rain deficiency over the country since June 1 with 68% deficiency over northwest India; 29% deficiency over central India; 20% deficiency over east and northeast India and 17% surplus over peninsular India.
IMD said rain over large parts of India should not be surprising when the monsoon has already progressed over around half of the country and is expected to make more progress in the coming days. However, monsoon’s arrival is no guarantee of rain, as current and past monsoon seasons are proof, HT explained.
Extreme weather and erratic rain destroyed crops of smallholder farmers in India: Study
Faced with erratic and extreme rainfall induced partly because of climate change, smallholder farmers in India are reporting crop losses, according to a report by Forum of Enterprises for Equitable Development, an independent non-profit and Development Intelligence Unit.
Nearly 50% of rice and wheat farmers surveyed for the analysis reported crop loss due to the last extreme weather event to hit them. Of them, 50% lost at least half their standing rice crop during the event, while 42% lost at least half of their standing wheat crop, the report found. On an average, each marginal farmer faced a loss of ₹8,400 for rice during crop loss and a loss of ₹9,200 for winter wheat, said the report released on Tuesday.
600 million face water scarcity risk because of record low snow in Hindu Kush: Study
More than 600 million people living downstream in the Ganga basin will be impacted because of unusually low snowfall in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), according to new research by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Sher Muhammad, lead author of HKH snow update 2024, said: “Snow melt contributes to 10.3% in the Ganga river basin, while glacier melt contributes 3.1%, so comparatively, the contribution from snow is quite significant.” The lower levels of snow this year “may affect water availability if there is less rainfall in the early season, as the snowmelt primarily contributes early in the summer season.”, he was quoted by HT. This year was lowest snow persistence (time snow remains on the ground), since 2003 at 17% below normal, the research found.
Climate change made killer heatwave in Mexico, southwest US even warmer and 35 times more likely
The soaring heatwave that struck southwestern US, Mexico and Central America recently, were 35 times more likely and 1.4°C hotter “because of the warming from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas”, the Associated Press reported.
A rapid attribution study by researchers at World Weather Attribution explored the impact of climate change in the ongoing heat that has killed “at least” 125 people so far, the newswire explained. Climate change also led to unusually high nighttime temperatures that were up to 1.6°C warmer than they would have otherwise been – and made “unusual evening heat” 200 more times more likely, it continued.
At least 24 killed by flooding, landslides after days of heavy rains in Ivory Coast’s Abidjan
Floods and landslides have killed at least 24 people in Ivory Coast’s largest city of Abidjan, following a week of heavy rains that was “four times the usual volume in some cases”, the Associated Press reported. The news wire said: “Flood-related deaths are not uncommon in the west African nation during the rainy season, but according to the Ivorian meteorological agency, the recent rainfall was particularly violent with more than 200mm (8 inches) in some districts, four times the usual amount in a day. Informal settlements are particularly vulnerable because of poor storm drainage among homes often built quickly without zoning regulations.”
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