The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently issued a ‘yellow alert’ for several parts of North India, and has even issued heatwave warning for Northern and Central India. In fact, yellow alerts have been issued at Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana; while areas such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra are likely to experience hot and humid conditions till April 25.
But this isn’t new. In the past few years as global temperatures continue to climb, heatwaves have only risen to become more severe and lethal each year. With global average temperatures rising 1.28 degrees over the 20th-century baseline in 2024, Earth had its hottest year on record, breaking the previous record set in 2023. Particularly in India, this heat was unheard of; in places like Delhitemperatures reached 52.3 degrees, the highest level in 74 years. These harsh circumstances have resulted in serious health hazards, problems with the infrastructure, and financial losses.
