India has been witness to a significant increase in the number of warm nights over the last decade as a result of climate change. According to a global report, conducted by non-profit Climate Central and consulting initiative Climate Trends, the study has revealed that Jalpaiguri in northern West Bengal’s Doors region is the most affected with this phenomena.
The study analysed 300 Indian cities with more than 100,000 population using 24 global climate assessment models. Through this research, it found that due to climate change, the number of hot night increased in India by 32 per cent. From 2014 to 2023, the cities in India experienced about 718 nights on average where the minimum temperature reached 25 degree celsius, with without climate change effects would range between 543 and 175 nights.
The report stated, “Climate change has had a significant influence on night-time temperatures above 25°C in India.”
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, highlights the impact of the urban heat island effect, which is particularly noticeable in night-time temperatures. “The high-rise buildings and concrete structures in cities trap heat, preventing it from escaping during the night,” he emphasised.
An Alarming Trend
The study asserted that West Bengal and Assam were most impacted by this trend. It also identified other states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Andhra Pradesh, as experiencing significant increases in warm nights due to climate change.
Overall, from the total cities analysed, 16 cities reported 920 nights with minimum temperatures soaring above 25°C, and 11 cities reported 919 such nights over the last decade. These cities include major metropolitan areas like Chennai and Kolkata, as well as cities like Port Blair, Puducherry, Puri, Surat, Visakhapatnam, and Patna.
Among the metro cities, Mumbai was the city that experienced the major impact as it saw additional 65 warmer nights per year due to global warming.
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Anjal Prakash, a professor at the Indian School of Business and a former IPCC author, highlighted that the most profound impact of rising temperatures is felt by the poor and vulnerable. “The addition of 50 to 80 warm nights annually due to global warming significantly affects those without access to proper cooling mechanisms,” he said.
In summary, the increasing number of warm nights in India underscores the urgent need for action to mitigate climate change and protect vulnerable populations from its severe impacts.
