Climate Change & Heatwaves: The daily struggle across South Asia

May 20, 2026 11:59 AM

Climate Change & Heatwaves: The daily struggle across South Asia

The afternoon sun hangs heavily over the roads of Delhi and NCR, but for 48 year-old rickshaw puller Ramesh, stopping work is not an option. Sweat drips constantly from his forehead as he pedals through traffic under temperatures touching nearly 44 degree Celsius. Every few minutes, he wipes his face with a faded towel wrapped around his neck. ‘If I stop working, my children will suffer,’ he says quietly when his rickshaw comes under the shadow of a flyover, which is a few moments of relief ...

Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires costing Europe billions each year

July 15, 2025 9:44 AM

Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires costing Europe billions each year

Extreme heat and worsening drought situations are gripping large parts of Europe, sparking wildfires, triggering red alerts and intensifying global calls for effective climate actions. Driven by climate change, scientists warn, these conditions signal a new era of drought, threatening food security, energy security, ecosystems and economies. The worrying part is that heatwaves and wildfires are constantly growing deadlier and costlier. If the European Environment Agency (EEA) is to be believed,...

Heatwave set to intensify across Rajasthan; warns meteorological department

April 28, 2025 1:00 PM

Heatwave set to intensify across Rajasthan; warns meteorological department

The heatwave gripping parts of Rajasthan is expected to intensify over the next few days, the Meteorological Department has warned. With the recent impact of western disturbances having subsided, heatwave conditions are likely to worsen across many districts, officials said. The Meteorological Centre has issued specific warnings for the Jodhpur division and parts of western Rajasthan. Additionally, hot nights are forecast for April 28 and 29. Barmer recorded the highest maximum temperature in ...

Climate change boosted deadly Saudi haj heat by 2.5 C, scientists say

September 16, 2024 6:12 PM

Climate change boosted deadly Saudi haj heat by 2.5 C, scientists say

The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the haj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said on Friday. Temperatures along the route from June 16 to 18 reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) at times and exceeded 51.8 C at Mecca's Great Mosque. The heat would have been approximately 2.5 C (4.5 F) cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a weather attribution analysis by Cli...

Millions sweltering under extreme heat worldwide as summer arrives

June 20, 2024 6:33 PM

Millions sweltering under extreme heat worldwide as summer arrives

Dangerous heatwaves are scorching cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marks the first day of summer, a sign that climate change may again bring about record-breaking heat that could surpass last summer as the warmest in 2,000 years. Countries around the Mediterranean have endured another week of blistering high temperatures that have contributed to forest fires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and ...

Heatwaves push India’s power demand to record high; Delhi hits 7,717 MW

May 21, 2024 7:39 PM

Heatwaves push India’s power demand to record high; Delhi hits 7,717 MW

India's ongoing severe heatwave has pushed power demand to a seasonal high of 234 gigawatts (GW) on Tuesday, exceeding the government's projected range of 225-235 GW for May. The demand is anticipated to rise further in June, reaching between 235-240 GW. Delhi, experiencing extreme heat, recorded an unprecedented peak power demand of 7,717 megawatts (MW) at 3:33 pm on Tuesday, the highest in its history. This marked the fourth consecutive day that Delhi's demand surpassed 7,000 MW, breaking the...