Kumari reported in late 2022 that the World Bank report has predicted a rise in heat wave in India that could break the human survivability limit in the country. The report, ‘Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector’ said the country is experiencing higher temperatures that arrive earlier and stay far longer.
Another report by World Bank has said that the world is barreling down a path to heat up by 4 degrees at the end of the century if the global community fails to act on climate change. Although it sounds threatening, it is also an eye-opening opportunity to act towards climate action.
Increase in Heat Waves
The report said that the recent heat wave supports what many climate scientists have long cautioned about with reference to rising temperatures across South Asia. However, in an extraordinary event this year, Europe experienced severe heat waves, with temperature touching above 40 degree Celsius. From June to August 2022, persistent heat-waves affected parts of Europe, causing evacuations and heat-related deaths. The highest temperature recorded was 47.0 °C in Pinhão, Portugal, on July 14.
In April 2022, capital New Delhi, recorded 46 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile the month of March, which witnessed extraordinary spikes in temperatures, was the hottest ever recorded in the month.
Time and again, climate experts have been stressing on keeping the temperatures below 1.5 degree Celsius. In August 2021, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that the Indian subcontinent would suffer more frequent and intense heat waves over the coming decade.
India and its climate actions
According to the World Bank report, India, recognizing the complex challenges of rising temperatures, was one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive Cooling Action Plan in 2019. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) sets out a long-term vision of ensuring sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits.
The report says, although the impact of the rising temperatures would impact the world, it is the poor that will suffer the impact more. India has time and again, raised the matter of climate financing and climate justice at global platforms including the recently concluded COP27 in Egypt.
India has also initiated a number of coalitions such as International Solar Alliance, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to bring clean and affordable energy within reach of all. India has also initiated Leadership group in Industry transition (Lead IT) track along with Sweden with focus on hard to abate industrial sectors and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure for easy and faster mobilization of technology, finance and necessary information for Small Island Developing States.
India has also been working on strengthening end-to-end early warning systems for all hydro-meteorological hazards. India has reduced mortality from cyclones by up to 90% over the last 15 years. On both east and west coasts, India has nearly 100% coverage of early warning systems for cyclones. Similarly for other hazards – such as heat waves – India is making swift progress, leading to much greater resilience of its communities. Over the last few years, India has made concerted efforts towards making early warning impact-based as well as more easily understandable and actionable by communities.
Cold Waves also Probable
Also, Singh reported in early 2023 that cold waves break records of decades, impacting health, transport, aviation, electricity supply in north-west India. The cold waves have broken the records of the last five decades in many places in the country, and will continue to hit for a few more days in several parts of north-west India. The Meteorological Department predicts dense to very dense fog in northwestern states during next 4-5 days. Minimum temperatures are in the range of 2-6°C over many parts of northwest India and Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, very dense fog in many pockets in Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, and in isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya was seen.
Dense fog in isolated pockets is very likely in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh during the next 3 days, and Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura may see a similar situation during the next 2 days. No significant change in minimum temperatures is likely.
Impacts expected
The weather conditions may affect some airports, highways and railway routes in the areas of met- sub-division. Difficult driving conditions with slower journey times are also seen. Chances of tripping of power lines in the very dense fog routes may also happen. Dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants and in case exposed, it gets lodged in the lungs, clogging them and decreasing their functional capacity which increases episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
Impact on people having asthma bronchitis
Long-time exposure to dense fog may cause a respiratory problem for people having asthma bronchitis and other lung-related health problems. Dense fog contains pollution of various types and these pollutants in the air, if exposed, may tend to irritate the membranes of the eye causing various infections leading to redness or swelling of the eye.
Suggestions for the people
The IMD has suggested to remain careful while driving or outing through any transport. It has also advised to use fog lights during driving and be in touch with airlines and railway and state transport for schedule of once journey. Similarly, it has also suggested to avoid outing until unless emergency and to cover the face.
Breaking the record of 5 decades in Kanpur
The cold these days has broken the record of the last five decades in Kanpur. According to the Meteorological Department, from 1972 to 2022, there had never been so much cold on January 3. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature of the city was recorded at 3.6 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature was 10.2 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has predicted more severe cold for the next three days in the city and elsewhere in the state.
Rains are also expected in some places
The department says that this time the rains in the cold season are also expected to be very less. Pollution is also increasing due to cold and fog. The IIT area of Kanpur has become the most polluted place. The torture of cold waves is going on all over UP. In view of the increasing cold and cold waves, the Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for 60 districts of UP. According to the state-level forecast of the Meteorological Department, till January 7, Saharanpur, Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly and Pilibhit in western Uttar Pradesh along with Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Deoria, Ballia, Ghazipur in eastern Uttar Pradesh will face severe cold.
Orange alert has been issued for cold day with dense fog in Azamgarh, Mau, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti and Bahraich. There may be heavy snowfall on the mountains in the coming 5 days. It will affect western UP especially- Saharanpur, Shamli, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad and its surroundings areas Rains are also expected in the districts of western UP by this week. Ninteen flights were cancelled in Uttar pradesh on Tuesday due to fog. On Monday, schools up to 12th were closed in many districts.
Sun may be closest to the earth today
The sun may be closest to the earth today, January 4. Bhopal’s national awardee science broadcaster Sarika Gharu on Tuesday said that due to orbiting on an elliptical path, the Earth comes near the Sun one day in a year and remains farthest one day. The distance from the centre of the Earth to the centre of the Sun will be approximately 14.7 crore km on Wednesday. This will be the shortest distance of the year. This is called perihelion in astronomy. The distance on July 7 will be more than 15.2 crore km. This is the maximum distance between the Earth and the Sun in a year.
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