India is currently in the grip of intense heat waves, with most of its cities experiencing exceptionally high temperatures. According to global air quality and temperature data, 97 of the world's 100 hottest cities on May 22, 2026, and all of the 100 hottest cities on May 23 were located in India. Maximum temperatures in these cities ranged between 44°C and 48°C. The scale and intensity of this heat underline a growing environmental crisis that can no longer be ignored.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a heat wave is declared when temperatures in the plains exceed 40°C, in coastal areas exceed 37°C, and in hilly regions exceed 30°C. A region is also considered heat-wave affected when temperatures rise at least 5°C above the seasonal average.
While heat waves during May and June are not new to India, their timing, duration, frequency, and intensity have increased significantly due to the rising average temperature of the Earth. An IMD report released in 2024 warned that northern Indian states, which previously experienced heat waves for around three days annually, could now face such conditions for five to seven days. In regions such as South Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Gujarat, the number of heat-wave days may increase from three to as many as eight to eleven days. Southern states are also expected to witness a substantial rise.
The geographical spread of heat waves has expanded as well. Until 2015, heat waves were largely confined to 17 states. By 2024, however, the number had increased to 23, encompassing hilly states and Union Territories such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as coastal states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This expansion demonstrates that no region of the country is immune to the effects of climate change.
The increasing frequency and severity of heat waves are neither sudden nor unexpected. Scientists have warned for decades that unchecked global warming would trigger more extreme weather events. The year 2024 was recorded as the hottest year in human history. Global average temperatures rose approximately 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, crossing the critical 1.5°C threshold identified by climate scientists as a danger point. Significantly, the three-year period from 2023 to 2025 marked the first sustained breach of this limit.
The international community had committed under the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5°C through rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet progress has been far from adequate. As a result, the years between 2015 and 2025 rank among the hottest ever recorded.
The warnings were clearly articulated in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2014. The report highlighted the severe consequences of rising global temperatures and cautioned that countries such as India and China would be among the most vulnerable to climate change. Despite these warnings, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased from 399.40 parts per million in 2015 to 427.35 parts per million in 2025, reflecting humanity's continued dependence on fossil fuels and unsustainable patterns of development.
Scientific studies indicate that a rise of 1°C in global temperatures can increase the occurrence of heat waves fivefold, while a rise of 2°C could increase their frequency fourteenfold. Rising temperatures are also likely to intensify droughts, wildfires, and water scarcity, compounding environmental and economic challenges.
Human activities have significantly worsened these conditions. Rivers have been heavily dammed, often beyond ecological limits. Traditional water bodies such as ponds, lakes, and wells have been neglected, encroached upon, or converted into dumping grounds. Industrial waste and urban pollution have contaminated water sources, while oceans increasingly absorb chemical pollutants. The degradation of natural ecosystems has reduced the environment's ability to regulate temperatures and maintain ecological balance.
The severity of this year's heat waves has also been linked to El Niño conditions, which naturally contribute to warmer global temperatures. However, natural variability alone cannot explain the scale of current warming. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, human activities have altered nearly 70 percent of the Earth's land surface and 66 percent of its oceans. Forests have been cleared to make way for expanding settlements, roads, industries, and infrastructure. The resulting loss of vegetation has reduced carbon absorption and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
The widespread use of fossil fuels in transportation, industry, and energy production continues to release large quantities of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Rapid urbanisation, the proliferation of concrete and glass structures, changing agricultural practices, shrinking green spaces, and the disappearance of orchards and pastures have all contributed to rising temperatures. Human activity has not only warmed the atmosphere but also the planet's water systems.
The consequences are becoming increasingly visible. Accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers threatens to enlarge glacial lakes, increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods. Flash floods in downstream regions may become more frequent and destructive, resulting in significant loss of life and property.
Heat waves are already causing widespread health problems, including heatstroke, dehydration, and skin ailments. Animals and birds suffer alongside humans. Agricultural productivity also declines under extreme temperatures, reducing yields of crops, fruits, and vegetables. Lower production can depress farmers' incomes, threaten food security, and contribute to inflation, placing essential food items beyond the reach of many poor households.
India urgently needs a comprehensive strategy to confront this challenge. Both the Union and state governments must develop long-term plans to mitigate rising temperatures and adapt to their consequences. Transportation systems must be transformed through the expansion of efficient and affordable public transport. Greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced across all sectors of the economy.
Forest conservation must become a national priority. Dense forests should be protected from commercial exploitation, and afforestation efforts should prioritise native species rather than ornamental or commercially attractive trees. In fragile hill states, non-essential construction activities should be restricted, while tourism and private vehicle numbers should be regulated according to local carrying capacities. Hydropower projects must be planned within ecological limits and in accordance with the carrying capacity of rivers.
Urban planning also requires a fundamental rethink. Instead of relying on energy-intensive concrete and glass structures, buildings should be designed using local materials and climate-sensitive architectural techniques suited to regional conditions. Traditional knowledge systems that evolved in harmony with local environments deserve renewed attention.
Ultimately, combating heat waves and climate change is not solely the responsibility of governments. Every citizen has a role to play through responsible consumption, conservation of resources, protection of local ecosystems, and support for sustainable lifestyles. The fury of heat waves is not merely a seasonal inconvenience; it is a warning signal from a planet under stress. Ignoring that warning will only make future summers more dangerous, more unequal, and more difficult to endure.
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Dr. Gurinder Kaur is a former Professor in the Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala
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