Heat Wave

Heat-related deaths: Every minute, one person dies from heat

The world is heating, but it is not just the planet that’s burning. Every minute, somewhere on Earth, someone dies from heat

Europe turns to air conditioning as extreme heat becomes new normal

This spring, the owners installed air conditioning - discreet Mitsubishi Compact+ units mounted against the exposed stone walls to preserve the château's traditional charm

Extreme heat has cut tropical bird populations by 38% in 70 years: Study

Birds in tropical regions are now experiencing dangerously hot days about ten times more often than they did in the past

Eastern half of US faces dangerous heat wave, expected to last until Jun 25

Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and East endured dangerously hot temperatures as a sprawling June heat wave that gripped much of the US was expected to last well into this week. Most of the northeastern quadrant of the country from Minnesota to Maine was under some type of heat advisory on Sunday. So were parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, the National Weather Service said. Weather service offices throughout the region warned of sweltering and sometimes life-threatening conditions through Wednesday. Please plan ahead to take frequent breaks if you must be outside, stay hydrated and provide plenty of water and shade for any outdoor animals, the service office in Wakefield, Virginia, said on X. Meteorologists say a phenomenon known as a heat dome, a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere that traps heat and humidity, is responsible for the extreme temperatures. Meanwhile, twin 6-year-old girls were among three people killed when ...

Why is the government regulating AC temperatures? Will it really save energy?

The Indian government is cracking down on air conditioner settings, limiting them to between 20°C and 28°C. But will these new regulations truly make a difference in energy conservation

Delhi 'feels like' temperature soars past 50°C, evening rain eases humidity

The city baked under the intense summer heat as the heat index hit 50.2°C; humidity and poor air quality worsen conditions

Illnesses, income woes: Delhi's outdoor workers battle heatwave, pollution

As we observe World Health Day under the theme "My health, My right", thousands of outdoor workers across the national capital from auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw pullers to roadside vendors are grappling with a growing health crisis due to extreme heat and air pollution. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the city, forecasting a heatwave to persist until Wednesday. Delhi's maximum temperature settled at 38.2 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above the seasonal average on Sunday. The minimum temperature was 18.5 degrees Celsius, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the poor' category at 209. Highlighting the physical toll of the heatwave, auto-rickshaw driver Santosh Hazra said, "Skin gets burnt during a heatwave; loo also affects health. There's ample availability of free water in Delhi but there's a shortage of shaded areas to rest." Another auto driver, Prashant Kumar (24), complained of feeling drowsy during the hot season. "I've bee

Heat wave alert: With mercury set to soar to 42 degrees, is Delhi ready?

According to the IMD, India is on track for above-normal summer temperatures from April to June, with heat wave days likely to increase across central, eastern and northwestern regions

India's power demand may rise 9-10% in 2025 as summers arrive: Experts

India should prepare for a nine to 10 per cent growth in peak electricity demand this summer with the country expected to experience more heatwaves, experts have warned. Last year, the all-India peak electricity demand crossed 250 gigawatts (GW) on May 30, which was 6.3 per cent higher than projections. Climate change-induced heat stress is one of the key factors driving electricity demand. Currently, industries, households and agriculture account for 33 per cent, 28 per cent and 19 per cent of India's total electricity consumption, respectively. Household electricity demand has grown the fastest over the past decade, according to Disha Agarwal, Senior Programme Lead Renewables at the Delhi-based think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water. The share of household electricity consumption increased from 22 per cent in 2012-13 to 25 per cent in 2022-23. Much of this rise can be attributed to economic growth and the increasing need for cooling due to rising temperatures, expert

Delhi records hottest day of 2025 as days grow warmer with strong winds

Delhi recorded its hottest day of the year on March 12, with temperatures reaching 34.8 degrees Celsius, 6.4 degrees Celsius above the daily average

Climate change drives sleep loss as temperatures increase at night

Eighth annual Lancet Countdown on health and climate change report, authored by 122 global experts, found that high temperatures, drought and heavy rainfall are increasingly impacting people's health

UN urges nations to better prepare as extreme heat breaks records

After three of Earth's hottest days ever measured, the United Nations called for a flurry of efforts to try to reduce the human toll from soaring and searing temperatures, calling it an extreme heat epidemic. If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it's that we're all increasingly feeling the heat, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday at a news conference where he highlighted that Monday was the hottest day on record, surpassing the mark set just a day earlier. Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere. Nearly half a million people a year die worldwide from heat related deaths, far more than other weather extremes such as hurricanes, and this is likely an underestimate, a new report by 10 U.N. agencies said. Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic -- wilting under increasingly deadly heat waves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world," Guterres said. "That's 122 degrees Fahrenhei

Delhi in 2080: Brace for warmer and drier summers, interactive map warns

An interactive map by the University of Maryland in US, titled 'Future Urban Planets', predicts that Mumbai summers will be 3.4 degrees Celsius warmer and 7.4 per cent wetter by 2080

June warmest on record, 12th month over 1.5 degrees C limit: EU agency

With millions of people across five continents experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's climate agency, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), confirmed on Monday that June was the warmest on record. It also marked the 12th consecutive month of global temperatures reaching or breaking the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. According to C3S ERA5 data, every month since June last year has been the warmest such month on record. In January, the world completed an entire year with the mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. June was the 12th consecutive month with monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the Paris Agreement .

Local beverages gain traction as consumer look to quench their thirst

Many regional brands were able to increase their penetration in existing markets and increase their market share

Indians tackle intense heat with 'mad rush' for air conditioners, beer

Quick delivery service Swiggy Instamart said it is seeing a sharp rise in orders for ice cream and cold beverages

Heatwave crisis in Pakistan: Over 450 lives lost as Karachi swelters

Pakistan is reeling from a deadly heatwave in Karachi and neighbouring regions, where over 450 deaths have strained healthcare and public infrastructure

Delhi's heatwave claims 192 homeless lives in nine days, crisis escalates

Amid scorching heat gripping the national capital, the past 48 hours have seen 14 fatalities and 380 individuals hospitalised in government facilities due to severe heat conditions

Delhi records minimum temperature of 30 deg C, 2.4 notches above average

The national capital on Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather department has predicted dust storm or thunderstorm during the day. The humidity at 8.30 am was at 42 per cent. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 42 degrees Celsius, it stated. The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the "poor" category with a reading of 242 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Review availability of heatstroke rooms at health facilities: Govt

With many parts of the country in the grip of a heatwave, the Centre has asked states and Union territories to conduct follow-up reviews to ensure dedicated heat stroke rooms at all health facilities besides implementing critical fire and electrical safety measures. Dr Atul Goel, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Union Health Ministry conducted a virtual review meeting with states and UTs to assess the preparedness for heatwave conditions and fire safety measures adopted by various healthcare facilities across the country. State Health departments have been issued advisories and asked to implement guidelines on strengthening health systems preparedness for Heat-Related Illnesses (HRI) besides issuing a public health advisory with do's and don'ts. They have been urged to follow the guidelines on emergency cooling for severe heat-related illnesses and autopsy findings in heat related deaths. State health departments have been asked to adhere to the joint communication fr