As the repercussions of the climate crisis spread throughout the subcontinent, temperatures in regions of India and Pakistan have reached record highs.
It has put the lives of millions at risk.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the average maximum temperature in northwest and central India in April was the highest since records began 122 years ago.
It reached 35.9 and 37.78 degrees Celsius respectively.
New Delhi experienced seven consecutive days above 40 degrees Celsius last month.
Three degrees above the usual temperature for the month of April.
The heat forced schools to close, damaged crops, and put a strain on energy supply in certain regions, prompting officials to advise inhabitants to stay indoors and drink plenty of water.
According to Pakistan’s Meteorological Department, the cities of Jacobabad and Sibi in the country’s southeastern Sindh province registered highs of 47 degrees Celsius on Friday.
This was the hottest temperature ever recorded in any city in the Northern Hemisphere on that day, according to the PMD.
“This is the first time in decades that Pakistan is experiencing what many call a ‘spring-less year,” Pakistan’s Minister of Climate Change, Sherry Rehman stated.
Temperatures in India are forecast to drop this week.
However, the scientists predict that the climate catastrophe will result in more frequent and longer heatwaves, affecting over a billion people in both nations.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, India is one of the country that is most likely to be affected by the torment.
As a result of the rising temperatures, Indian states, such as West Bengal and Odisha, have issued school closures.
“Children who have to travelled to school, many of them are getting nosebleeds, they can’t tolerate this heatwave,” West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told.
“We don’t have a heat action plan and there are gaps in planning,” Singh said.
He added, “You can only adapt so much. This heatwave is testing the limits of human survivability.”
