Heatwave Intensity Set To Spike, New Hot Spots Likely: Govt Study

Cities across India will get hotter, with northwestern, central and south-central parts of the country emerging as the new heatwave hot spots, a new analysis by the department of science and technology (DST) has projected, and scientists have also warned that the frequency of intense heat will increase substantially.

- Soumya Pillai

Heatwave frequency will increase as much as four to seven times, the analysis by DST's Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research has predicted, which could increase five to 10 times in the mid and long term.

Under a moderate scenario in which planet warming emissions peak around 2040 and then decline the increase in heatwave frequency is projected to be around four to seven times. However, under a more severe scenario - in which emissions continue to rise throughout the century-the increase would five to 10 times.

The report has highlighted that northwestern, central and south-central parts of India are expected to emerge as the new heatwave hot spots, with the south-central region likely to record the largest increase in temperatures and heatwave days in the coming days.