NEW DELHI: India could witness up to 40 additional unusually hot days every year over the next two decades, according to New Delhi-based environmental think tank Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
The report said the rise in extreme heat will increase health risks and raise operating costs for India’s 281 data centres, as these facilities will require more cooling.
“Unusually hot days” are defined as days when daily mean temperatures exceed the district-specific 90th percentile threshold, based on climate data from 1981 to 2010.
The prediction is based on calculations from the Climate Resilience Analytics and Visualisation Intelligence System (CRAVIS), an AI-powered climate intelligence platform developed by CEEW.
CRAVIS uses more than 40 years of public datasets from institutions including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, and the Forest Survey of India, along with climate projections extending to 2070.
According to CRAVIS, India is likely to experience an additional 15 to 40 unusually hot days each year in the next two decades compared to the 1981-2010 climate baseline.
It also projected that unusually warm nights could increase by 20 to 40 days annually in several regions.
The analysis found that central and southern states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, are likely to witness the sharpest rise in both rainfall and hot days.
The report said the increase in heat and extreme rainfall could create serious health challenges.
“This affects human health by preventing the body from cooling down after sunset and has implications for labour productivity, infrastructure performance, and economic resilience.”
During the launch of the CRAVIS platform, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal spoke about rising temperatures.
"Last night felt like one of the hottest nights we have experienced in April."
He added, "Rising temperatures, increasing hot days, and more frequent heavy rainfall events are clear signals that climate change is a present reality for India, shaping our economy and daily lives."