Heat waves hit India a month earlier than usual, smashing temperature records and hitting temperatures of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) — and it’s only going to get worse.
The brunt of the heat wave is anticipated to hit late this week and into the weekend, with peak temperatures in northern and northwest India, as well as portions of Pakistan, reaching 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit (5-8 degrees Celsius) over average.
According to Scott Duncan, an extreme climate expert, over one billion people will be exposed to intense heat, accounting for 10% of the world’s population.
Extremely high temperatures are expected in India on Thursday, with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit displayed in orange and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit highlighted in dark red.
Temperatures in the mid to upper 40s Celsius are possible in this region, including New Delhi, implying temperatures of above 110 and up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
And, sadly, this heat isn’t going to go away.
In many regions, minimum temperatures will not fall below 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) throughout the overnight hours, providing little to no reprieve.
Long durations of hot evenings can be fatal because they impair the body’s capacity to recuperate from the heat of the day.
On Tuesday, the city of Barmer in India reported a maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius, or 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to Maximiliano Herrera, a climate researcher, a station in Pakistan equaled the record for the greatest maximum temperature in the Northern Hemisphere on the same day, at 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius).