Earlier this month, a heatstroke incident at a political rally in Navi Mumbai resulted in the death of 14 people. While the ‘loo’ is common in central and northern states, such a tragedy in Mumbai is not the norm. Mumbai’s hottest day so far was in early March at 39.3 degrees (last year, it came in April at 39.6 Celsius); in Chandrapur, mercury touched 43.2 degrees Celsius; it was 42.2 in Amravati and Solapur; and 41 degrees in Nagpur in mid-April.

A recent study, titled Lethal Heatwaves Are Challenging India’s Sustainable Development, published in PLOS Climate Journal, throws light on the severity of rising temperatures and the impact on development. Published on April 19 by the University of Cambridge, it is authored by Dr Ramit Debnath, Dr Ronita Bardhan and Michelle L Bell. “April 2022 was the hottest in 122 years and followed the hottest March on record, reportedly killing at least 25 people,” reads the introduction of the study. Bardhan, Associate Professor of Sustainable Built Environment at the University of Cambridge, says they started research last year, “when India was facing massive heatwaves, it triggered us to understand the implication”.