Extreme Heat Wave Sweeping India and Pakistan

30 April 2022

Rising temperatures have caused shortages in water supplies and power outages resulting from over-consumption of energy in India and Pakistan.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned Friday that the heat wave sweeping India and Pakistan, with temperatures up to 47 degrees Celsius, could affect the health of millions of people, in addition to water and electricity supplies.

In this regard, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis pointed out that the current values are between four and five degrees above the usual indicators for the month of April, which could have an impact on mountainous areas and result in torrential floods due to glacier melting.

The senior official explained that this scenario of unusual heat, which is a phenomenon typical of the months of May and June, could also have disastrous consequences for agriculture, “at a time when the world is under enormous pressure in terms of food security”.

In this sense, the wheat harvest in India has already been impacted by the effects of climate change, while in the midst of the global food crisis, as a result of the armed conflict in Ukraine, since that country is one of the world’s main producers of this cereal.

In addition, in India, several cities, including its capital, New Delhi, recorded temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius, which directly affected the quality of life of citizens, as there were power outages in several states and water supply shortages.

The outages were the result of the overconsumption of energy due to the increased use of air conditioners and fans in factories and other production centers, according to information gathered in local media.

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Meanwhile, in Pakistan, in the city of Dadu, the temperature recently reached 46.6 degrees Celsius, a measurement that was a record for the Northern Hemisphere in the month of April; although still far from the top of 50.3 recorded by the Pakistani city of Turbat in May 2017, the fourth-highest temperature in history.

Scientists have warned that temperatures are likely to keep on registering marked rises in the coming days.

Published at www.telesurenglish.net

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