New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.
Indian cities have become "heat traps" due to their unbalanced growth devouring water bodies and increasing greenhouse emissions Highlights: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above-normal temperatures for June in the northwest and central parts of the country including Delhi, making it one of the longest heatwave spells. The IMD's heatwave criteria start with 40 degrees in the plains and 30 degrees for hills where it is generally cooler because of elevation. Unbalanced urban growth, which has reduced wetlands and water bodies, was another factor The emission of greenhouse gases has also gone up. The permeable spaces have gone down considerably. The cities actually have become heat traps. As a result, nights are nearly as uncomfortable as days. According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) published last month, land surface temperatures during summers from 2001 to 2010 in cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai used to drop by up to 13.2 degrees C during the night from their day-time peak. Between 2014 and 2023 they were only cooling off by up to 11.5 degrees C. Delhi's long-term plan includes increasing heat insulation of buildings, developing shelters for urban poor and slum dwellers, and investing in cooling water bodies. Such plans need to be backed financially Because cities are struggling with their own finances and they don't have additional budgets to implement actions for heat
Harsh chilly nights offer scant relief for Delhi dwellers amidst India's relentless heatwave. In the sizzling summer of Northern India, the capital city of Delhi has been broiling under record-breaking temperatures. The city's mercury recently soared to an eye-watering 121.8 degrees Fahrenheit (49.9 degrees Celsius), setting a new national record. Even as day turns into night, the city refuses to cool down significantly. Comparatively, urban outskirt areas are cooling down by a more comfortable 12.2 degrees Celsius. This was found in a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month, focusing on urban heat stress in Delhi.
New Delhi, India, experiences its highest-ever recorded temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius in June 2024, leading to heatwave challenges for residents and workers in urban areas. The persistent warmth, exacerbated by rising nighttime temperatures, has caused power cuts, increased heat-stroke cases, and deaths among vulnerable populations. In New Delhi, India, the ongoing heatwave has resulted in the city’s highest-ever recorded temperature of 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in June 2024, as reported by CNN. The heat persists into the night, with urban areas cooling down only by 8.5 degrees Celsius compared to 12.2 degrees in suburban areas, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer — with one part of the capital of Delhi recording the country’s highest-ever temperature 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found. The warmer nights deprive people of rest and recovery from long hours of exposure to oppressive heat, particularly for people without access to air conditioning.
Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer — with one part of the capital of Delhi recording the country’s highest-ever temperature 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found. The warmer nights deprive people of rest and recovery from long hours of exposure to oppressive heat, particularly for people without access to air conditioning.
Heatwaves marked by temperatures rising above 48°C at multiple sites across India have claimed at least 110 lives and caused suspected heat strokes in over 40,000 people since March, despite weather and health advisories and calls for caution. Experts say the deaths point to a population and healthcare systems unprepared for, or unable to protect people from, the consequences of exposure to extreme heat. Surveillance data on heat-related illnesses and deaths compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, suggest that Uttar Pradesh has been the worst-affected with 36 deaths followed by Bihar, Rajasthan and Odisha, a PTI report said. “Advisories have never been enough,” said Avikal Somvanshi, a researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, who has analysed summer temperatures in multiple cities in the country and their impact on health. “Even if the advisories reach the public, we need to ask: what proportion of our population have the ability to heed those guidelines or access protection during extreme heat? Most cities also still lack infrastructure such as shady areas, cooling zones and an abundance of cool water — some of the things we need to reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.” Somvanshi’s analysis of heat-related deaths reported by the government has shown that 62 per cent of such deaths in India over the past two decades have occurred in people aged 30 to 60 years. “Eighty per cent of the deaths were men — many may have found themselves compelled to work outside in extreme heat,” Somvanshi said. The health ministry on Tuesday issued a fresh heatwave advisory asking state health departments to ensure preparedness for, and timely response to, heatwaves. It asked health officials to start submitting daily data on heatstrokes and heat-related deaths.
अमृत 2.0 एवं डे-एनयूएलएम के संयुक्त तत्वाधान में क्रियान्वित किये जा रहे अमृत कार्यक्रम के अंतर्गत स्वयं सहायता समूह द्वारा संचालित एफ़एसटीपी सेंटर खुर्जा का निरक्षण लखनऊ से आई टीम सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट के प्रतिनिधि श्री हर्ष तथा सुश्री अलका द्वारा किया गया। साथ ही जैविक खाद विक्रय का शुभारंभ आज माननीय अध्यक्ष नगर पालिका परिषद खुर्जा महोदया द्वारा अपने कर कमलों से माननीय पार्षद वार्ड 5 हरीश कुमार को प्रथम पैकेट देकर किया गया । इस अवसर पर अधिशासी अधिकारी श्रीमती पूजा श्रीवास्तव और शहर मिशन प्रबंधक अब्दुल रहमान भी उपस्थित रहे ।
A monthslong heat wave across swathes of India has killed more than 100 people and led to over 40,000 suspected cases of heat stroke in the past three and a half months, according to data from India's Health Ministry. Between March 1 and June 18, 110 people in India died after suffering heat strokes, according to Health Ministry data provided to The Associated Press. Officials from India's Health Ministry and its subsidiary body, the National Centre for Disease Control, which compiled the figures, declined to comment. The highest number of deaths — 36 — were reported in Uttar Pradesh state, followed by other northern states including Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha, which has borne the brunt of the extreme weather. The data also showed that of the 40,272 cases of suspected heat stroke during this period, 457 were reported on Tuesday. The capital, New Delhi, has also been gripped by extreme heat even as brief rains and winds on Thursday morning cooled temperatures after the city suffered its hottest night in over five decades earlier this week. The country's weather department expects some respite from the heat over the next few days, but said extreme weather could continue after that. India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 40 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the plains and 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) or more in its hilly regions. In recent weeks, parts of the capital reported temperatures up to 51 C (123.8 F), triggering record demand for electricity and leading to frequent power cuts in the city, which is also battling a severe water crisis. A number of places in northern India, where soaring temperatures have broken records, have also been forced to shut schools due to the heat. On Wednesday, Health Minister J P Nadda directed authorities to set up special heat wave units in federally run government hospitals to help patients who fall ill due to the heat. The main summer months — April, May and June — are always hot in most parts of India before the monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat has become more intense in the past decade and is usually accompanied by severe water shortages, with tens of millions of India's 1.4 billion people lacking running water. Climate experts also say that extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent. A study by the World Weather Attribution, a climate impact monitoring agency, found that a searing heat wave in April in parts of Asia was made at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent by climate change. According to India's weather agency, this year's heat wave, which has continued for more than three weeks, is likely among the longest continuous heat spells the country has ever experienced. Last year, more than 150 people died in India during heat waves. The government estimates nearly 11,000 people have died in heat waves this century, but experts say such figures are likely a vast undercount, since the lack of an efficient system to document heat-related illness and deaths remains a major issue. "We don't classify and measure deaths as much as we should and that is one reason why heat-related deaths are difficult to count," said Dileep Mavalankar, former head of the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar. Mavalankar was instrumental in developing India's first heat action plan for the city of Ahmedabad in 2013, three years after more than 1,300 people died there during a heat wave. Many heat deaths are also counted as deaths by other comorbidities, according to Mavalankar. "Not only during heat waves but even in general, we need to be counting deaths better. That is the only way we will know how severe the consequences of extreme heat are," he said. India, the world's most populous country and one of the world's largest emitters of planet-heating gases, is among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A report by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment found that the country experienced extreme weather on nearly 90% of the days last year.
By Esha Mitra and Kathleen Magramo, CNN New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found. The warmer nights deprive people of rest and recovery from long hours of exposure to oppressive heat, particularly for people without access to air conditioning. Bicycle rickshaw driver Sagar Mandal told CNN that he’s been getting fewer passengers because people opt for air-conditioned taxis over open-air transport. “My body can’t take it, but I have to keep cycling. We are used to physical labor, we aren’t complaining about that. But this heat is not normal, something has to change,” the 39-year-old, who pedals people around the city, said. “No one cares if we live or die, no matter who you vote for this is a problem no one can solve,” he said. Nikhil Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver said his workdays are getting longer and tougher amid the heat. “It doesn’t get any better at night, even at night I’m sweating, it rained a little last night but look how hot it is today, there’s no relief,” the 26-year-old driver said. Hotter nights are a consequence of the climate crisis, scientists have warned, heightening the health hazards of heat stress. Studies have shown higher nighttime temperatures make it harder to fall asleep and reduce deep wave and REM (rapid eye movement), both critical to how well the body repairs and refreshes itself at night. In the United States, for example, nights are warming faster than days in most of country, the 2018 National Climate Assessment found. Mandal, the cycle-rickshaw driver said he has been sleeping on the roof of his home for some hope of cooler air but only for a couple of hours. “I barely sleep these days,” he said. Exposure to heat waves during pregnancy may be associated with adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, according to a 2019 study. Older adults may have higher heart rates and more physiological stress when sleeping in warmer temperatures. A 2008 Australian study even found deaths due to mental and behavioral disorders rose during heat waves, especially for older adults. Power paucity, water woes and heat stress Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities like Delhi because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings. Areas with a lot of asphalt and dense concrete buildings absorb more of the sun’s heat than areas with ample parks, rivers and tree-lined streets. The hot days and nights are testing the limits of the country’s electricity grid and water supply, and the strain on resources is already making people sick. “We’ve been living in this neighborhood for 40 years, but we have never seen a summer like this,” said 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city.
New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.
New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found. The warmer nights deprive people of rest and recovery from long hours of exposure to oppressive heat, particularly for people without access to air conditioning. Bicycle rickshaw driver Sagar Mandal told CNN that he’s been getting fewer passengers because people opt for air-conditioned taxis over open-air transport. “My body can’t take it, but I have to keep cycling. We are used to physical labor, we aren’t complaining about that. But this heat is not normal, something has to change,” the 39-year-old, who pedals people around the city, said. “No one cares if we live or die, no matter who you vote for this is a problem no one can solve,” he said. Nikhil Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver said his workdays are getting longer and tougher amid the heat. “It doesn’t get any better at night, even at night I’m sweating, it rained a little last night but look how hot it is today, there’s no relief,” the 26-year-old driver said. Hotter nights are a consequence of the climate crisis, scientists have warned, heightening the health hazards of heat stress. Studies have shown higher nighttime temperatures make it harder to fall asleep and reduce deep wave and REM (rapid eye movement), both critical to how well the body repairs and refreshes itself at night. In the United States, for example, nights are warming faster than days in most of country, the 2018 National Climate Assessment found. Mandal, the cycle-rickshaw driver said he has been sleeping on the roof of his home for some hope of cooler air but only for a couple of hours. “I barely sleep these days,” he said. Exposure to heat waves during pregnancy may be associated with adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, according to a 2019 study. Older adults may have higher heart rates and more physiological stress when sleeping in warmer temperatures. A 2008 Australian study even found deaths due to mental and behavioral disorders rose during heat waves, especially for older adults. Power paucity, water woes and heat stress Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in cities like Delhi because of the urban heat island effect, in which metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings. Areas with a lot of asphalt and dense concrete buildings absorb more of the sun’s heat than areas with ample parks, rivers and tree-lined streets. The hot days and nights are testing the limits of the country’s electricity grid and water supply, and the strain on resources is already making people sick. “We’ve been living in this neighborhood for 40 years, but we have never seen a summer like this,” said 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city. “There hasn’t been power for the last two hours, in the middle of the day that’s unbearable,” Saha told CNN, saying that power cuts also render their air-conditioning system useless. “We get water only once a day, and it’s scalding hot, unless you fill up a bucket and let it cool off all day before using it, you can’t bathe in this water,” she said. Saha also said her grandson has been ill for a week. “They’re small, they can’t cope with this, this is not a human level of heat,” she said. At least 40,000 cases of heat stroke have been reported in India since March, an official in the Ministry of Health told CNN Thursday, and at least 110 people have died across the country due to suspected heat stroke as well. Dr Ajay Chauhan, in charge of the first of its kind heat-stroke unit at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohiya (RML) hospital says hotter nights mean increased stress on the bodies. “When a person has a heat stroke, things progress very quickly, so without early intervention the fatality rate of heat strokes is very high,” Chauhan said. Chauhan said people who work outdoors all day need time to cool down and recover but he concedes “that’s not been possible.” At least 11 people have died as a result of heat strokes at his hospital since May 29 and on Thursday alone over 20 new patients were admitted to the hospital for various heat-related illnesses. Over the past five decades, India has experienced more than 700 heat wave events claiming more than 17,000 lives, according to a 2021 study of extreme weather in the Weather and Climate Extremes journal.
New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.
New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.
New Delhi (CNN) — Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer, with one part of Delhi reached 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. But the stifling heat persists even after the blazing sun has set. The city is cooling down by only 8.5 degrees Celsius at night compared to a 12.2 degrees cooling down in urban outskirt areas, a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last month tracking urban heat stress in Delhi has found.