India Insights: Too Hot, Too Soon - The Alarming Rise Of Early Heatwaves In India
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Unseasonal heatwaves in India have made spring disappear and summer scorching hot. Experts suggest that adapting to extreme heat waves will be necessary for regions in India where urbanization and climate change have created an oven-like situation.
In Delhi, the temperatures in April reached over 40 °C between 7th and 9th April, according to data published by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). But April is considered mid-summer in India, and temperatures over 40 °C have become the norm during this time in many parts of the country. However, February, which is considered the start of spring, saw scorching temperatures. In this month, the streets of Delhi shimmered under a ruthless sun, as temperatures soared past 35°C levels typically reserved for peak summer months.
This sharp, unseasonal spike in temperature is not an isolated event, but part of a disturbing pattern now emerging across South Asia. From Rajasthan’s desert towns to the coastal stretches of Andhra Pradesh, heatwaves are arriving weeks, sometimes months, before schedule, breaking records and upending daily life.
Behind this alarming shift lies a harsh truth: climate change is accelerating, and it’s rewriting the subcontinent’s seasonal calendar. Now the question is, will the people of the region be able to adapt to the cruel strides of climate change?
The Science Behind It
To understand why India is heating up far earlier than expected, scientists point to a combination of natural variability and long-term climate change, both acting in tandem to push temperatures to dangerous extremes.
D.S. Pai, head of Climate Research & Services at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune, thinks this phenomenon is due to multiple contributing factors. “Intense urbanisation, reducing green cover, and global climatic factors. It is getting worse every year, barring a few exception years,” he says.
One key factor is jet streams, a fast-moving air current that typically helps regulate seasonal weather patterns. In recent years, the jet stream has become more erratic due to global warming, allowing hot, dry air to linger over the Indian subcontinent for longer periods than usual. This stagnation creates the perfect conditions for early heatwaves.
Another factor can be the warming of the Indian Ocean, which continues to absorb excess heat from global emissions. This is disrupting monsoon cycles in the subcontinent and bringing summer early. Add to that the El Niño effect, which returned in 2023 after a three-year La Niña phase. El Niño tends to warm the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, influencing global weather and often leading to warmer, drier winters in South Asia. This has played a critical role in the early onset of extreme temperatures this year.
These scientific red flags suggest that India’s early heatwaves are no longer anomalies, but they’re indicators of a rapidly warming climate system.
Consequences On Daily Life
The impact of early heatwaves can be felt across sectors, especially agriculture, tourism, and public health. Hospitals in Delhi, Jaipur, and Lucknow reported a sharp rise in heatstroke, dehydration, and cardiac stress as early as February. Vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and daily-wage outdoor workers bear the brunt, often with limited access to cooling or hydration.
With regard to agriculture, farmers are struggling to make ends meet due to nature’s wrath. Wheat and mustard crops, which rely on cooler nights and a slow maturing process, are wilting under premature heat stress. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana are witnessing shrivelled grain heads and reduced yields. Long-term drought and water scarcity are also resulting in crop failure.
Urban centres aren’t spared either. Early temperature surges strain electricity grids as air conditioners and coolers run months ahead of schedule. Water demand spikes, and schools in some districts have already announced shorter hours or early holidays. Meanwhile, labourers and delivery workers face reduced productivity under unsafe outdoor conditions, with little policy support.
Government & Policy Response
As India battles earlier and more intense heatwaves each year, the government has taken some steps to manage the crisis.
Over the past decade, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has encouraged states and cities to develop Heat Action Plans (HAPs). Some cities like Ahmedabad, which launched South Asia’s first HAP in 2013, have led the way with innovative measures like cool roofs, shaded areas, and early warning systems. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now issues daily heat alerts, which are shared with local health centres and the general public. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has urged hospitals to set up dedicated heatstroke wards ahead of summer.
There’s also growing use of technology, like mobile apps offering real-time alerts and pilot projects where residents wear health-monitoring devices during extreme heat to gather data for better response planning.
But the reach and impact of these policies are still limited. Many HAPs are underfunded or poorly implemented, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. There’s also a lack of clear coordination between agencies and little long-term planning to prepare for a hotter future.
With heatwaves only expected to worsen, policy responses must go beyond short-term fixes and move toward climate resilience that’s both inclusive and sustained.
However, such early heatwaves are not exclusive to South Asia. This has become the new normal, and scientists believe that as the Earth’s temperature continues to rise, summers will become hotter around the world. From southern Europe to parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, regions with historically moderate seasons are now grappling with deadly temperature spikes.
South Asia, with its dense population and fragile infrastructure, faces some of the harshest consequences, despite contributing relatively little to historical carbon emissions. The irony is painful: those least responsible are suffering the most.
So, can India adapt in time? Some cities are making progress, and awareness is growing. With every passing summer, the window to prepare is narrowing. Without a stronger, more coordinated national response, the fear is not just of hotter months ahead, but of a future that becomes too hot to survive.
