The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning, forecasting that most parts of India will experience a sustained heatwave this summer, with temperatures across much of the country expected to be higher than the average of previous years. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department, stated that the number of heatwave days in several states is expected to exceed those of previous years.
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04-04, 2025In fact, as early as February, the weekly average minimum temperature in many states was already 1-3 degrees Celsius higher than in previous years. Extreme heat annually causes hundreds of deaths in India, and industries such as agriculture suffer losses due to water shortages. On May 28, 2024, Churu, a city in western Rajasthan, India, recorded a historical high temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius. According to statistics from the Indian Ministry of Health, heatwaves caused 143 deaths between March 1 and June 20, 2024.
However, independent experts believe that the official Indian statistics on deaths caused by extreme heat may be underestimated. The "2024 Heatwave Observation Report" pointed out that between March and June 2024, a total of 733 cases of heatstroke deaths were reported in 17 states in India. Mohapatra said at a press conference on Monday that states such as Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha may experience as many as 10 to 11 days of heatwaves this year.
Mohapatra added: "From April to June, most parts of northern and eastern India, central India, and the plains of northwestern India are expected to have two to four more heatwave days than normal." Last year, Mohapatra warned that India's heatwaves could become more frequent if action is not taken to address extreme weather.
India is the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and relies heavily on coal-fired power generation to meet its energy needs. Mohapatra said last year: "Human activities, population growth, industrialization, and transportation mechanisms have led to an increase in the concentration of carbon monoxide, methane, and chlorocarbons. We are not only endangering ourselves, but also our future generations."
