Al Jazeera reports: Advertisement “This sinking air compresses, warms adiabatically, and blocks clouds, allowing relentless solar heating.”He added that several factors relating to the climate are also contributing to the heat. “Weak pre-monsoon rains and lingering El Nino-like patterns further suppress cooling,” Prakash said.El Nino develops when sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, particularly off the western coast of South America, “become significantly warmer than usual”, often alongside a “falter” in easterly trade winds from the Americas to Asia, according to NASA. In Maharashtra, the cities of Akola and Amravati recorded 46.9C (116.4F) and 46.8C (116.2) on April 26.
Local media also reported that more than 90 of the world’s hottest cities were in India on April 24.Multiple deaths have been recorded since the onset of extreme heat conditions. In the last week of April, two school teachers died of heatstroke, and four other people were reported to have died in the eastern state of West Bengal due to heat-related causes, Indian media outlets reported. Advertisement PakistanIndia’s western neighbour is also facing a heatwave crisis, with authorities warning it could last several days.On Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast continued heatwave conditions across the central and upper parts of the province of Sindh, and urged citizens to “avoid exposure to direct sunlight during the daytime and remain hydrated”.In Karachi, the country’s most populated city, temperatures reached 44C (111F) on Monday this week – the highest recorded there since 2018, according to the PMD.
Background
At least 10 people were reported to have died on Tuesday, local emergency services said, when the extreme heat gripped the city.Sindh cities of Jacobabad and Sukkur are expected to see temperatures as high as 46C (114.8F) later this week.A volunteer sprays water on people as refreshment during a heatwave in Karachi, Pakistan [Rehan Khan/EPA]BangladeshBangladesh’s capital. Dhaka, as well as its districts of Faridpur, Rajshahi and Pabna, were particularly badly affected in mid to late April, recording temperatures between 37C (98.6F) and 38C (100.4F).Temperatures have been rising in Bangladesh for some time.
Key facts
- In Maharashtra, the cities of Akola and Amravati recorded 46.9C (116.4F) and 46.8C (116.2) on April 26.
- Local media also reported that more than 90 of the world’s hottest cities were in India on April 24.Multiple deaths have been recorded since the onset of extreme heat conditions.
- “Building codes need to mandate passive design standards before structures are built,” while “labour protections must be made enforceable for informal workers”.
What this means
“The elderly, pregnant women, young children, and those with pre-existing conditions face the greatest risk.”Part of the problem is “structural”, he said – and low-income labourers are also more likely to be exposed.“Those in poorly insulated, ill-ventilated homes face higher heat stress than those with access to cooling, and are often the same people who must toil outdoors.”“Roughly 380 million Indians, about three-fourths of the workforce, are engaged in heat-exposed labour. Advertisement “These save lives, but tend to reach those already within formal systems.” He warned that “informal workers and daily-wagers – the most exposed – fall largely outside the protections such plans are designed around, and implementation is rarely tracked or enforced.”According to Bhatotia, addressing the crisis requires a far broader “structural response” which “must span every level of government and its domains – housing, urban planning, health systems, labour protections and disaster management”, he said.
He stressed that “health systems need expanded infrastructure, a trained workforce and functional surveillance so that heat-related morbidity and mortality are actually counted”.Long-term resilience against rising temperatures will depend on systemic reforms being implemented, he added. “Building codes need to mandate passive design standards before structures are built,” while “labour protections must be made enforceable for informal workers”. Without such changes, he warned, heat risks will continue to outpace current response efforts.Across the border in Pakistan, Islamabad-based climate expert and academic Fahad Saeed has raised concerns about the country’s preparedness and transparency in the face of intensifying heatwaves.
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
