Heatwaves Grip Central and Peninsular India, Temperature Exceeds 40 in Chhattisgarh 

Heatwave gripped Central and peninsular India. In central India’s Chhattisgarh temperatures touched 40 degrees, Dainik Jagran reported adding that Rajnandgaon district  recorded 40.5°C — one of the highest temperatures recorded anywhere in India's plains at the time, on par with Washim in Maharashtra.

In the states of AP and Telangana temperatures neared 40 degrees. In  Hyderabad temperature touched 38°C, reported Hans. The UV index has reached 10, categorised as “extremely dangerous”, raising concerns over skin-related health risks. Northern districts of Telangana, including Adilabad, Nizamabad and Karimnagar expected to witness even harsher conditions, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C.  Heat conditions have intensified across Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada, the maximum temperature is expected to touch 38°C. Temperatures  are likely to be particularly severe in the Rayalaseema. 

IMD predicts heatwave conditions in Tamil Nadu, DD News reported.In Kerala, Punalur reported a maximum of 38.4 degree celsius, while Kottayam reached 37.8 degree celsius—staggering 3 degrees above the usual value for this time of year, she said, reported the Hindu.

‘Extremely rare’ heatwave across south-west US ‘virtually impossible’ without climate crisis

The south-west US was hit by record-breaking heat “in what should be winter”, reported Scripps News. The broadcaster reported  that nearly 20 million people in the region are under “excessive heat warnings”, with another 20 million facing heat advisories. Temperature  in Phoenix, Arizona hit 40.5C, breaking the city’s March heat record by around 5C. Las Vegas and parts of inland Los Angeles also experienced record-setting heat, says the outlet

The Guardian reported that the climate crisis, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, has made extreme heatwaves four times more likely to occur over the last decade, according to a newrapid analysis released Friday.

“These temperatures are completely off the scale for March,” said analysis co-author Ben Clarke. Even as recently as 2016, the current heatwave would have also been milder, with temperatures about 1.4°F (0.8°C) cooler, says the analysis by World Weather Attribution, an international consortium of climate researchers.

“These findings leave no room for doubt. Climate change is pushing weather into extremes that would have been unthinkable in a preindustrial world,” said the co-author Friederike Otto.

Glaciers melting rate across Hindu Kush Himalayas doubled since 2000: ICIMOD report

The rate of melting of glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalayas has doubled since 2000, a new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) found, HT reported.

The report mapped 63,761 glaciers in the region. The newspaper said these glaciers are the source of at least ten major Asian river systems, supporting the food, water, energy, and livelihood security of billions. Around 78% of this glacier area, situated between 4,500 and 6,000 metres above sea level, is highly exposed to elevation-dependent warming — a phenomenon where temperature rises faster at higher altitudes than at lower ones.

The findings come on the back of visible consequences. The 2021 Chamoli disaster in the higher reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas involved the dislodgement of a glacieret and likely killed over 200 people; in October 2023, a devastating glacial lake outburst flood impacted South Lhonak lake in Sikkim, leading to deadly floods that killed over 50 people, and last year’s Dharali disaster on August 5 in Uttarakhand — where the Kheer Ganga, fed by a glaciated zone, swept away an entire market — are among several disasters India has experienced in recent years with a glacial dimension.

Warming oceans linked to rise in land heatwaves: Study

Rising temperatures of oceans is driving 50-64% of the increase in land heatwaves globally, according to a joint study by multiple agencies, DTE reported. Researchers used a complex network approach applied to climate reanalysis data to show that the observed intensification of humid heatwaves is closely associated with coastal oceanic warming over the period 1982-2023. the researchers wrote in the report Large-scale aggregation of humid heatwaves exacerbated by coastal oceanic warming. The outlet explained that in a warming world, heatwaves have become a permanent phenomenon, raising the risk of heat-related mortality. The risk is measured using the heat-humidity 'wet bulb temperature' threshold of about 31.5 degrees Celsius that is considered close to the physiological limit beyond which sweating becomes ineffective, increasing the risk of heatstroke. 

Coastal oceanic warming and intensified humid heatwaves are linked, particularly in tropical regions, the analysis said. 

According to the study, rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean trigger widespread heatwaves across South Asia and West Asia. Another case in point was the record-breaking sea surface temperature in 2023 that the North Atlantic region experienced and which led to widespread heatwaves in the southern region of South America.  The study concluded that rising sea surface temperatures could serve as early warning indicators for extreme heat events.

Far more countries face critical food insecurity if world heats up by 2°C, analysis shows

According to a new study the number of countries falling into critical food insecurity could almost triple to 24 if global temperatures increase by 2°C, the Guardian reported. 

Analysis by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) showed that global heating will increase the risk of food insecurity worldwide, but food systems in low-income countries are projected to deteriorate seven times as fast as those in wealthy nations.

This can be prevented by “strengthening social protection systems that can respond quickly to climate shocks, investing in climate resilient agriculture and improving water and soil management”. The worst-affected countries include Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Haiti and Mozambique. Under a 2C heating scenario, the analysis projects that food insecurity will increase by more than 30% in these countries, while in high-income countries it would increase by 3% on average, Ritu Bharadwaj, a researcher for the IIED and author of the study told the Guardian.