Up to 8 Degrees Higher Than Last Year Forecasted
Severe Side Effects of Heatwave... Crops Drying Up
As a heatwave has arrived earlier than usual in India and Pakistan, threatening the survival of residents with crops drying up, foreign media including CNN cited the Pakistan Meteorological Department on the 15th, reporting that temperatures in some areas are forecasted to be up to 8 degrees higher than average from the 14th to the 18th. In particular, the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted that the highest temperature in the southwestern Balochistan region this week will soar up to 49 degrees Celsius.
India and Pakistan are suffering from a heatwave that arrived earlier than usual. On the 15th, foreign media including CNN cited the Pakistan Meteorological Department, reporting that temperatures in some areas are forecasted to be up to 8 degrees higher than average from the 14th to the 18th. AFP·Yonhap News
The highest temperature in Delhi, the capital of India, has exceeded 40 degrees Celsius three times this month alone. This is up to 5 degrees higher than the seasonal average. Some areas in Rajasthan, India, have already recorded 44 degrees Celsius. Both countries usually experience peak heat in May and June, but this year the heat started earlier, according to analyses. A local resident told CNN, "This heatwave was unexpectedly intense," adding, "Power outages lasting up to 16 hours a day are exacerbating the heatwave." Another resident said, "This heat is much more severe than in other years," and reported that "workers and farmers quickly run out of drinking water, and people are complaining of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness."
Previously, in May 2022, the average monthly temperature in northern India approached about 40 degrees Celsius, creating conditions similar to the Sahara and Arabian deserts, where human survival is difficult. India also experienced a heatwave lasting a total of 280 days from March 11 to May 18 of the same year. In June last year, a general election was held amid the heatwave, during which 87 people, including election polling officials, died.
The side effects of the heatwave are severe. In particular, India and Pakistan are classified as countries most severely affected by the climate crisis, and CNN reported that over one billion people in the Asian continent are expected to be impacted. Between 1992 and 2015, about 22,000 deaths in India were recorded due to heatwaves, but experts estimate that the actual number of deaths is much higher, according to BBC.
Earlier, in May 2022, the average monthly temperature in northern India approached about 40 degrees Celsius, creating conditions similar to the Sahara and Arabian deserts, where human survival is difficult. India also experienced a heatwave lasting a total of 280 days from March 11 to May 18 of the same year. AFP·Yonhap News
The effects on pregnant women and fetuses have also been pointed out. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) stated, "In summer, 80% of babies are born prematurely due to weather conditions and suffer from respiratory diseases," adding, "Pregnancy-induced hypertension is also increasing." Concerns about food shortages due to the heatwave have also been raised. Some climate experts warn that by 2050, India will become the first region where temperatures exceed survival limits.
Meanwhile, last year the global temperature recorded the highest level for the second consecutive year, and warming is expected to continue this year as well. According to Copernicus, the European Union's climate change monitoring agency that records global average temperatures and sea level rise, the global temperature in January 2025 reached an all-time high.
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