Extreme Humid Heat In India During Monsoon: Report

A new study, “Managing Monsoons in a Warming Climate”, reveals a shocking reality – most parts of India are now grappling with severe humidity and heat, even through the monsoon months of June, July, and September.

The monsoon has brought plenty of rainfall to almost every part of India, but several districts are still experiencing extreme humid heat during the monsoon months – June, July, and September – according to a recently published report titled ‘Managing Monsoons in a Warming Climate.’ The report contends that India now effectively has extended summer conditions.

The report said that more than 84 percent of districts are prone to extreme heat waves. Moreover, 70 percent of these districts are also witnessing increased intensity of extreme rainfall.

Summer-Like Condition Except On Rainy Days

Recently, an intriguing research by IPE Global and EsriIndia unveiled that summers in India seem to have extended into the monsoon season, particularly on dry days. The study spotlighted a notable escalation in the instances, intensity, and erratic nature of severe heatwaves and heavy rainfall events within India for the last few decades. Astonishingly, the count of excessively hot days during March-April-May and June-July-August-September surged about 15 fold in the past 30 years, with the previous decade witnessing a striking 19 fold leap. Getting down to the crux of the study, they delved into data from ISRO, IMD, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, to analyze and model the climate across the four seasons.
According to experts, trends may only strengthen as the world warms further.
“The current trend of catastrophic extreme heat and rainfall events are a result of 0.6 degree C temperature rise in the last century. El Nino is gaining momentum and making its early presence felt across the globe with India facing the extreme events of turbulence more in patterns than waves,” Abinash Mohanty, head of Climate Change and Sustainability Practice at IPE Global.
The report states, “We believe that, overall, India is witnessing an extended summer-like condition in the June, July, August, and September (JJAS) months. In particular, we found that districts located in the plains and in hilly regions are witnessing these trends — which has deterrent impacts on lives, livelihoods, and economic sectors.”
During the fall months of October, November, and December, more than half of India’s districts prone to extreme heat have been hit with unseasonably continuous rainfall. There is a global upward trend in temperature and moisture levels, leading to an increased likelihood of heatwaves especially in the tropics. The writers of this report suggest that an observatory for heat risk, or HRO, should be created to closely monitor and provide forecasts for both long-term and immediate heat risks. The goal of this endeavour is to improve preparedness for heat-driven problems like urban heat islands, drought, vector-borne diseases, and harm to crops. They also put forward the idea of creating monetary strategies to alleviate the impact of extreme heat risks and heavy rainfall incidents.
According to Krishna S Vatsa, member of the National Disaster Management Authority, the data is still sketchy and needs to be improved. “Data is still sketchy. We need to improve more data to understand hazards. We need meteorological observational network on a taluka level and much better models for forecast,” he said.
He added, “Early warning systems are very different across hazards. It’s also important to improve our response capacity be it in Kedarnath or Wayanad. Our allocations have increased 2.5 times for disaster management.”

India Facing Urban Flooding, Glacier Disasters, Landslides

Vatsa recently argued about the fresh challenges India is grappling with such as city floods, glacier-linked disasters, landslides, abrupt floods, and heat-based issues. Focusing on the severe damages India suffered from the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in Sikkim in the previous year, his emphasis was on the essence of identifying and keeping a close check on hazardous glaciers, especially those located at lofty heights exceeding 5,000 meters. He made note of roughly 80 glaciers being in potential peril and stressed on the urgent need to create early warning systems in these zones. He also referred to the detailed planning that went into organizing 42 expeditions to these glaciers, underlining the intricate nature of the task.