Unprecedented heatwave in India: climate change is happening now

An unprecedented heatwave in South Asia in April 2022 is bringing dangerously high temperatures to over a billion people. Both India and Pakistan are being hit the hardest with widespread record-breaking temperatures above 40°C (105°F). Conditions are expected to worsen this week in those regions, where temperatures approaching 45°C (113°F) are possible. This heatwave isn't only the earliest one India and Pakistan have known, but might also become one of the longest-lasting in recent decades. Forecast models indicate that parts of Pakistan and northwestern India could reach temperatures near 50°C (120°F) on Thursday and Friday. These temperatures are 10°C (18°F) warmer than the normal high temperatures for April and would approach the all-time record temperatures for the month. Temperatures in major metropolitan areas can be further exasperated by the urban heat island effect, increasing local temperatures a few degrees higher than the surrounding countryside. In addition to the heat, a significant rainfall deficit has also been recorded in the pre-monsoon season since early March. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, many Indian regions are experiencing a 99% deficit in normal rainfall amounts. Concerns are growing about the potential for regional food shortages if the lack of rainfall continues. This should be a wake-up call for the Indian (and Pakistan) government to finally take the climate crisis seriously. We Don't Have Time. Climate change is happening now. Net-zero by 2070 is too late. Read more: https://earthsky.org/earth/heatwave-in-india-breaks-records/