After a record-breaking scorcher in 2024, all indications are towards heatwave conditions prevailing this summer too. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) proclaimed 2024 the warmest year since 1901, with as many as 54 days witnessing heatwave conditions. This year, we are experiencing heatwaves earlier than usual, with February 2025 being the hottest in 125 years. April, too, was among the hottest, with many northern cities prematurely topping 40°C.
While New Delhi reeled under three consecutive days of heatwave in early April, parts of Gujarat sounded ‘orange’ alerts against heat-related illnesses. A heatwave is when temperatures exceed the normal highs by 5-6°C. Barmer in Rajasthan broke records by notching 45.6°C on April 6, while the end of the month saw extreme conditions in parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh.
Though rain has brought some respite in the beginning of May, extreme heat is the new normal. A study published by ClimaMeter estimates the April 2025 heatwave in India was mainly due to human-generated climate change, with natural variations or the El Niño effect playing only a subsidiary role.
Unfortunately, the economic impact of extreme heat is understated and underestimated. The early onset of a searing summer and its abnormal extension is threatening vital crops and livelihoods, and the survival of millions who live on the edge. Early heat matures crops before time and the resultant harvest is of low yield and lower nutritive value.
The human cost is staggering, too. Heat-related illnesses have killed thousands and climate experts have been warning that by 2050, India will be among the first places where temperatures will cross ‘survivability limits’. Extreme heat is taking a toll on pregnant women and their unborn children, as 80 percent of babies in vulnerable families are born pre-term, often with respiratory issues.
Reports have pointed out that heat conditions have impacted the livelihood of millions of women workers, who toil at home in occupations such as rolling papads or sewing garments. By one estimate, there is a 2 percent loss in productivity for every degree rise above 25°C in indoor temperatures. In the short term, more effort has to be put behind supporting livelihoods by providing cooler workspaces, hydration and protective gear. In the long term, stalling and reversing climate change has to top the agenda.