Heat Is Surging Across India, Risking Blackouts And Even Deaths

The maximum temperature on Monday exceeded 44C in Baripada in Odisha, and remained about 5C above normal in many areas.

Temperatures are soaring across the country this week, sparking warnings about heat waves and increasing the risk of blackouts, potentially exposing millions of people to heat exhaustion or deadly heat stroke.

The maximum temperature on Monday exceeded 44C in Baripada in Odisha, and remained about 5C above normal in many areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heat wave warnings for several regions, including in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

India's bracing for what might be a hotter summer than usual. This year, there's increased focus on the weather after the subcontinent suffered a punishing heat wave in 2022 that caused widespread human suffering and affected global wheat supplies. There's also concern about power failures as people turn up their air-conditioners and push the grid to the limit.

Heat, when combined with humidity, becomes especially dangerous, or even deadly. A majority of the country's 1.4 billion population work outdoors, often without protection. Many construction workers, hawkers and rickshaw pullers die each year during the summer as they don't have the means to beat the heat. India suffers from the most pronounced heat-related labor losses in the world.