The global local temperature on April 27 recorded by the Goddard Earth Observing System model shows that the South Asian subcontinent was enveloped by a heat wave. Image credit: NASA’s Earth Observation website
Since mid-March, the heatwave has continued to engulf the South Asian subcontinent, killing nearly 100 people and affecting hundreds of millions of people. As for the cause of the heat wave, experts point to global warming as the “culprit”.
South Asia: A heat wave hits India once in 122 years, Pakistan experiences “a year without spring”
On April 2, the Indian Meteorological Department said the country’s average maximum temperature in March reached 33.1°C, a 122-year high. According to the latest data from the department, the average maximum temperature in April in northwestern and central India reached 35.9 ℃ and 37.78 ℃, both of which experienced the “hottest April” in 122 years.
The European Space Agency’s website also shows that, according to data from the “Copernicus Sentinel 3” satellite, the surface temperature in many places in northwestern India was close to 55 °C at the end of April, and even exceeded 60 °C locally.
In the western Indian state of Gujarat, local veterinarians and animal rescuers say dozens of dehydrated birds are falling from the sky every day as the heat dries up water sources.
Doctors at a local animal hospital said they had been feeding the birds vitamin tablets and injecting water into their mouths for days, and that thousands of birds had been treated in the past few weeks.
Not only that, the nighttime temperature in many parts of India has not dropped below 30 degrees Celsius recently, which experts say may be fatal because people’s physical condition will not be able to recover from the high temperature during the day.
CBS pointed out in a report that because the high temperature in South Asia usually starts in June, and this heat wave is much earlier than the same period, it caught the local people and the government by surprise. At least 25 people have been killed in the heatwave in India so far, and the actual number is expected to be higher.
Similar extreme high temperatures have also occurred in Pakistan, India’s neighbor, in recent days. The Pakistani Meteorological Department said daytime temperatures in most parts of the country could be 5°C to 8°C warmer than normal. In some mountainous areas, the unusually high temperature could also accelerate the melting of glaciers, causing flash floods, the department warned.
So far, Pakistan has reported 65 deaths in the heatwave. “This is the first time in decades that Pakistanis have experienced a year without spring,” Climate Change Minister Rehman said in a statement.
Large-scale power outages, train outages, global food prices may be pushed up
The ongoing heatwave also has serious knock-on effects. The U.S. VOX news network pointed out that the most serious impact of extreme heat still falls on the poorest people who do not have enough water, let alone use it.air conditionerand fan.
For those who have the means to use artificial refrigeration, the situation is not optimistic. Currently, two-thirds of households in India are without power due to surging electricity demand and grid stress. People don’t have electricity when they need it the most.
CBS also pointed out that India’s transportation system is facing a severe test as 70% of its electricity comes from thermal power plants, and the country has cancelled hundreds of passenger trains to make way for more coal-carrying trains.
The hot weather has also increased dust and ozone pollution, leading to a surge in air pollution levels in major cities in South Asia.
More worryingly, wheat production is also under threat. In India, about 60% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, with the majority working outdoors. Right now, India is in the midst of the wheat harvest season, and millions of people are faced with the tough choice of working in dangerous weather or giving up their livelihoods.
Bloomberg pointed out that India is one of the few food-producing countries capable of alleviating the global wheat shortage after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, but the local harvest is being hit by an extreme heat wave. In order to protect domestic supplies, the Indian government is in talks to limit domestic wheat exports, people familiar with the matter said.
Daimodaron, a senior researcher at the Center for Indian Policy Studies, warned that because of this heat wave, India may not be able to make up for the shortfall in wheat supply caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Some analysts say that global food prices, which are already on an upward trend, may be pushed up further.
Climate warming is the “culprit”? Expert: Humans will experience more severe high temperature weather
Extreme heat is not uncommon for South Asia. However, the current heatwave is causing concern for its early onset, widespread coverage and severity.
According to the US VOX news network, the heat wave originated from a high pressure system formed over the South Asian subcontinent. The system compresses and heats the air while compressing the clouds. If there are no clouds above, sunlight hits the ground, taking away moisture that would otherwise help cool the air. As the pressure builds, the sun continues to scorch the ground, creating a heatwave.
Mohapatra, an official at the Indian Meteorological Department, said the reduction in precipitation was one of the key factors in the heatwave, with rainfall in northwestern India dropping by about 89% in March and nearly 83% in April. He also said the region will continue to experience above-normal temperatures in May.
Scientists point the “culprit” to global warming.
CBS quoted meteorologist Mishra as saying, “There is no doubt that climate change plays a role in this (heat waves), although we have to consider other factors.”
Mishra said that humans will experience more severe extreme heat in the next 20 to 30 years, and the recent heat wave in India is just a “miniature”. He further stated: “There is no doubt that future heatwaves will occur more frequently, last longer and cover a larger area of the Indian subcontinent…will affect water supply, agriculture, commerce and energy demand.”
The report also cited a report from India’s Ministry of Geosciences saying that the average frequency of summer heatwaves in the country will increase to about 2.5 times a year by the mid-21st century, and will further increase to about 3 times by the end of the century.
The US VOX news network also pointed out that scientists have long warned that more frequent and extreme heat waves are one of the most direct consequences of rising global average temperatures.
As for the threat of heat waves, VOX believes that there is no quick or simple solution, because climate change is a long-term problem that has been brewing for more than a century, and it will take decades or more to adjust urban construction and economic structure alone. Long. (Finish)
