INDIA HIT BY HEATWAVES

Several heat waves have hit India and experts have warned that they could be life-threatening.

The country is no stranger to heatwaves, but this year they have arrived a month earlier than usual.

The heatwaves are reportedly shattering temperature records with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius and climbing. It’s believed that some parts of India and Pakistan will reach temperatures in the mid to upper 40s this week.

The country has already reported a warmer than usual March and April in some northern areas.

CNN reports that little to no relief will come during the overnight hours as minimum temperatures will not dip below 30 degrees Celsius in many areas. Prolonged periods of warm nights can prove deadly as they limit the body’s ability to recover from daytime heat.

The effect of the heat combined with no access to air conditioning is one of the reasons why experts are worried about the millions of people who will be affected by the heat waves, especially the elderly.

Unfortunately, it seems as if the Monsoon might take longer than usual to reach the northern cities like New Delhi and Kolkata.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that India is among the countries expected to be worst affected by the impacts of the climate crisis.

“More intense heat waves of longer durations and occurring at a higher frequency are projected over India.”

Image credit: CNN