Power outages, fires, droughts in a 122-year record heat wave in India

According to Das Erste news agency, the wave of hot this year started unusually early and lasted in many parts of India throughout April. Temperatures remain high for now as heatwaves continue, making the weather dry hot and muggy since the beginning. spring.

On April 25, a number of cities in India recorded the highest temperature of up to 42.8 degrees Celsius. In Wardha city, Maharashtra state, the temperature reached 45 degrees Celsius.

According to weather forecast, the temperature in this country will continue to rise, about 5-8 degrees Celsius higher than average this weekend. Northern and western India, especially areas near the borders with Pakistan and Nepal, could experience extreme heat reaching 44-46 degrees Celsius by midweek. From Friday to Sunday, the temperature can reach 49 degrees Celsius if the forecast is correct.

According to the Washington Post, the majority of Indian households live in poverty and do not have air conditioning, leaving people vulnerable to heat, especially the elderly.

Rajbir, a tuk-tuk driver in New Delhi, sheltering from the sun in the shade with a headscarf, said: “Yes, it was very hot today, I had to stand in the shade. If the guests come, I will go out.” Rajbir only has a bottle of water in his car and has to work 7 to 8 hours a day.

During an online meeting with the heads of states of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of the growing fire danger.

“The thermometer readings are growing rapidly in India, which is not usually seen at this time of year. Faced with that situation, the number of fires is also increasing. In recent days, fires have broken out in many forests, historical sites and hospitals,” Modi said.

In the capital New Delhi, a huge dumpsite burned for several days, thick smoke covered the north of the city and difficult to extinguish due to hot weather.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall in March is only about one-quarter to one-third of normal, causing crops to wilt. Some places are short of water.

The heat also puts additional pressure on the power grid, causing frequent power outages. Some states in India are supplied with electricity by the hour. Many thermal power plants are running out of coal, and the glaciers of the Himalayas are melting at an astonishing rate.

Climatologist Mariam Zakharia believes this is definitely the result of Climate Change: “In the past, this (glacial melt) happened every 50 years, now it’s every 4 years. If we do nothing, it will happen even more often.”

Last year, at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Indian Prime Minister Modi said that the country could only achieve climate neutrality by 2070 with financial support from developed countries. . New Delhi will remain dependent on many coal-fired power plants for a long time.

Meanwhile, meteorologists warn that the heat wave in India will be even more widespread and severe in the coming days.