A relentless heat wave persisted across large parts of the country for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday, with temperatures soaring to 48.8 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan’s Barmer, marking the highest recorded temperature in the country so far this year.
Official statistics revealed that at least 16 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh experienced maximum temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius or above on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the severe heat wave would persist for at least another five days. In Rajasthan, Churu recorded a high of 47.4 degrees Celsius, Phalodi 47.8 degrees, and Jaisalmer 47.2 degrees. Meanwhile, maximum temperatures reached 46.6 degrees in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, 45 degrees in Uttar Pradesh’s Orai, 45.9 degrees in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, 45.4 degrees each in Punjab’s Bathinda and Haryana’s Sirsa.
Despite a slight dip, Delhi still experienced above-normal temperatures on Thursday, with the mercury hitting 41 degrees Celsius, according to IMD data.
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The Met office issued a ‘red’ warning for Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh, highlighting a ‘very high likelihood’ of heat-related illnesses and heat stroke across all age groups. It also cautioned that warm nighttime conditions could exacerbate heat-related stress in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan over the next three days.
Elevated nighttime temperatures are particularly concerning as they hinder the body’s ability to cool down, a phenomenon exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, which causes cities to be significantly hotter than their surroundings.
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If reports are to go by, the relentless heat is straining power grids and depleting water sources, leading to drought-like conditions in various parts of the country. The Central Water Commission reported that water storage in 150 major reservoirs in India had plummeted to its lowest level in five years, exacerbating water scarcity in many states and significantly impacting hydropower generation.
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Severe and frequent heat waves are disproportionately affecting low-income households, which often lack access to adequate water and cooling facilities, and are putting outdoor workers at risk, necessitating frequent breaks. Vulnerable populations, including the elderly and children, are at a heightened risk of heat-related illnesses.
Hot weather also negatively impacts productivity, with studies showing that students perform worse academically during ‘hot school years.’ The absence of functional electricity connections in 15 percent of government schools in India exacerbates the impact of heat waves on rural education.
Moreover, the lack of adequate cold-chain infrastructure poses a threat to fresh produce during extreme heat events, contributing to annual food losses worth USD 13 billion in India.
A World Bank report predicts that India could account for 34 million of the projected 80 million global job losses due to heat stress-associated productivity decline by 2030. With 75 percent of Indian workers experiencing heat-related stress, the lost labour resulting from rising temperatures could lead to a loss of up to 4.5 percent of India’s GDP by the end of the decade, equivalent to approximately USD 150-250 billion, according to a McKinsey Global Institute report.
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