Climate Change Brings Early Spring Heatwave to India

It’s going to be a hot summer. In India, it’s already started. 

An intense heatwave struck the south Asian country’s northern region this week. That's at least three weeks earlier than normal. Temps hit above 107 degrees in 21 cities in five states. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed much of the area under a severe heatwave alert for the coming days.  

Much of India can expect "two-to-four more heatwave days than normal" from April to June, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told reporters. He's the head of meteorology for the IMD.   

The early heatwave is a bad sign for a part of the world that suffered from extreme heat during summer 2024. The heat killed hundreds in India last summer. Tens of thousands more suffered heatstroke.

Experts say climate change is shifting India’s seasons. One of those changes is heat waves coming much sooner than normal.  

"We go straight from winter to summer," Mahesh Palawat told the BBC. He's a meteorologist for Skynet. It's a weather forecasting company.  

India is home to the world’s largest population of 1.4 billion. It ranks third in greenhouse gas emissions. And it depends on coal-burning power plants for its energy needs. "We are endangering not only ourselves, but also our future generations," Mohapatra told the Indian Express in 2024. 

Reflect: What do you think people can do to prepare for and respond to extreme heat in their communities?