Heatwave Kills Over 100 in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana as Power, Health Systems Strain

Extreme heatwave has killed over 100 people in states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Khaleej Times reported adding that “[m]ore than a dozen districts saw temperatures above 45°C in Andhra Pradesh, with temperatures “soar[ing]” over 48°C in its East and West Godavari regions. ETV Bharat reported that Telangana’s Warangal registered 23 heat deaths, the highest in the region. In the state of Chhattisgarh, an electrician fainted and fell from a height at Raipur airport and died, reported the Indian Express. 

The New Indian Express reported that data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that Telangana recorded 116 heat stroke and sunstroke deaths in 2024. “However, the state’s Heatwave Action Plan 2026 places the deaths at just 10 for the same period.” The newspaper said, “This discrepancy of 106 deaths highlights the lack of a uniform national framework for tracking extreme heat fatalities. The true figures of human cost of extreme heat “may remain invisible in official records”, the outlet said. Andhra Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar said the sharp rise in electricity consumption across the state is being driven by soaring temperatures, with several regions touching nearly 49°C. He said power cuts are being reported because transmission lines are suffering damage and transformers are overheating under unprecedented demand, not because of shortage of power supply, the New Indian Express reported.

The Independent reported that health impacts are “getting worse” because of record night-time temperatures, with Delhi recording “its warmest May night in almost 14 years” this week. As temperatures approach 46°C in the Capital, authorities warned that heatwave conditions will continue over large parts of central and north-western India, reported the Indian Express. 

The electricity demand for cooling in homes is now overtaking the power demand to run industry in several regions pushing India’s power grid into "Unchartered territory” reported Down to Earth. Severely low access to cooling and “infrastructure design failure” also add to extreme heat death toll, reported the Hindustan Times. 

Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to continue over central and northwest India during next two to three days, reported the HT citing India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Heatwave Pushes Grid Demand to 270 GW Milestone; Govt Urges Citizens to ‘Use electricity Wisely’ 

Some regions in India are grappling with power cuts as record-breaking heat has pushed electricity demand to an all-time high of more than 270 GW, prompting the government to urge consumers to limit usage, Reuters reported.  

An El Nino weather pattern is bringing above-average summer temperatures across the subcontinent in May, with nighttime outages lasting between 40 minutes and an hour in the manufacturing and information-technology hub of Chennai, residents said.

“South Chennai has seen frequent power cuts over the past two days, with outages at short intervals,” said R Hari, a resident of the southern city, who complained that the disruptions made it difficult to work from home.

The power ministry urged citizens to use electricity judiciously. The ministry, however, said although there is no shortage of electricity, it should be used wisely, reported the New Indian Express. 

“The peak daytime demand usually occurs between 2 PM and 4 PM. Although we are prepared to supply electricity as required, due to the intense summer, let us all try to use electricity wisely and judiciously,” said the power ministry in a social media post on X.

The spike in electricity consumption comes amid severe heatwave conditions across northwest and central India. According to the India Meteorological Department, temperatures in several regions are nearing the 45°C mark.

Last summer, India recorded a peak power demand of 242.77 GW in June 2025, although it remained below the government’s projected estimate of 277 GW.

Below-Normal Monsoon Rainfall, Above-Normal Heatwave Days, Predicts India’s Weather Department IMD

Monsoon rainfall in India is likely to be 90% long period average (LPA) this year, indicating below normal or less rainfall, even lower than 92% that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast in April, while the country is projected to see above-normal heat wave days, HT reported citing the weather department. 

Among regions, northeast India is expected to see normal rains while northwest, central and south peninsular India are projected to experience below-normal monsoon rains, according to IMD.

“During June 2026, above normal heat wave days are expected over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, isolated regions of Maharashtra, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,” the IMD said.

IMD to Revamp Heatwave Alerts, Introduce Percentile-based Thresholds For First Time

In a “most significant revision” of the heat wave warning system, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) will broadcast heat alerts on a percentile-based threshold — which for the first time, will capture humid heat that coastal regions routinely experience, but that existing guidelines do not flag, HT reported.

The new system will trigger a heat alert when maximum temperatures exceed the 95th percentile (95% of previous temperatures in the area were less hotter) for a given location — or the point above which only 5% of all historically recorded temperatures fall, the report explained. 

The change is designed to address a specific gap: along the coast, where temperatures may not reach the absolute thresholds required under current rules but where high humidity makes the heat genuinely dangerous.

Under the existing framework, IMD issues heat wave warnings for plains when maximum temperatures hit 45°C or when daytime temperatures exceed the normal by 4.5°C to 6.4°C. For coastal areas, the threshold is 37°C or above and at least 4.5°C above normal — criteria that leave little room for the compounding effect of humidity.

UN’s Grim Alert: World Almost Certain to Endure Record Hot Year By 2030

It is “almost certain”the world will experience a record-hot year by 2030 due to climate change, the Guardian reported, citing a new report produced by the UN World Meteorological Organization and UK Met Office. The outlet said: “[The report] predicts an 86% chance that at least one year between 2026 and 2030 will surpass 2024 as the hottest ever recorded. There is a 75% chance that the average temperature for the five-year period from 2026 to 2030 will be more than 1.5C above the pre-industrial average.” 

Simon Stiell, the UN climate chief, told the newspaper: “The latest heatwave in Europe is a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis, both human and economic. Many other parts of the world are also getting hit hard, such as India and other parts of Asia.”

“Protecting human lives, businesses and economies from extreme heat and the many other soaring costs of climate change is core business for every nation, and it starts with kicking the fossil fuel addiction much faster,” he told the Guardian, noting that clean power is now cheaper than fossil fuels and faster to produce. 

Reuters covered the report saying that “temporarily crossing the 1.5C threshold does not mean the Paris Agreement has failed, as it refers to a long-term average over 20 years rather than a single year’s exceedance”.