it’s going to be a hot summer. hotter than anything we’ve experienced before. the indian meteorological department (imd) forecast, “above-normal maximum temperatures are likely in most parts of the country.”

this is a cause for alarm.

buried in the numbers

last year, official reports from the health ministry indicated that between march 1 and june 18, there were 110 deaths attributed to heatstroke. however, other sources suggest that the actual toll was higher. for instance, a study highlighted by down to earth reported 733 heatstroke deaths across 17 states during the same period. additionally, reuters noted that over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases were recorded nationwide.

a study by the sustainable futures collaborative (sfc), an independent research organisation analysing frontier issues in climate change, energy, and the environment, has dire warnings.

the team published a report, titled, "is india ready for a warming world?”

the simple answer is no.

in fact, india will experience extreme heat events that will increase in severity and duration, having far-reaching consequences.

the report focuses on 9 major cities, including bengaluru, delhi and mumbai. these 9 cities represent 11% of india’s urban population.

a warmer 2025?

2024 was the warmest year on record in the world.

it was about 1.55°c above pre-industrial levels. in fact, the last 10 years were the warmest on record. the goal of limiting global warming to under 2°c is in “grave danger”.

2024 was also india’s warmest year since records began in 1901.

we’re also experiencing cyclones that displace millions, and with 60% of agriculture still rain-fed, erratic monsoons and groundwater depletion threaten food and water security.

we simply need to do more to combat the rapidly accelerating effects of climate change.

there’s a dire need for india cities to move beyond immediate emergency responses and develop comprehensive, long-term strategies to address the escalating risks of global warming.

conversations around heatwaves have also started affecting companies, and productivity. these all point to the growing concerns around climate change. unless we have stronger policies and hard action, the years of climate abuse is coming at us. thick and fast.