The global local temperature recorded by the Goddard earth observation system model on April 27 shows that the South Asian subcontinent is shrouded in a heat wave. Source: NASA Earth Observation website
Since mid March, the heat wave has continued to envelop the South Asian subcontinent, killing nearly 100 people and affecting hundreds of millions of people. As for the cause of the heat wave, experts point the "culprit" to global warming.
South Asia: a 122 year heat wave hit India and Pakistan, experiencing "a year without spring"
On April 2, the Indian Meteorological Bureau said that the average maximum temperature in March reached 33.1 ℃, a 122 year high. According to the latest data of the Department, the average maximum temperature in April in Northwest and central India reached 35.9 ℃ and 37.78 ℃, both of which experienced the "hottest April" in 122 years.
The website of the European Space Agency also shows that according to the data of the Copernicus sentinel 3 satellite, the surface temperature in many parts of northwest India was close to 55 ℃ at the end of April, and even exceeded 60 ℃ locally.
In the western Indian state of Gujarat, local veterinarians and animal rescue workers said dozens of dehydrated birds fell from the sky every day because the water dried up due to the heat.
Doctors at a local animal hospital said they had been feeding vitamin tablets to the birds and injecting water into their mouths for days, and thousands of birds had been treated in the past few weeks.
Moreover, the night temperature in many parts of India has not fallen below 30 ℃ recently. Experts say this may be fatal because people's physical condition will not recover from the high temperature during the day.
CBS pointed out in the report that the hot weather in South Asia usually starts in June, and the heat wave is much earlier than the same period, which caught the local people and government by surprise. So far, at least 25 people in India have been killed by the heat wave, and the actual number is expected to be higher.
In Pakistan, India's neighbor, a similar extreme high temperature weather has occurred recently. Pakistan's meteorological department said that the daytime temperature in most parts of the country may be 5 ℃ to 8 ℃ higher than the normal temperature. The Department warned that in some mountainous areas, abnormal high temperatures will also accelerate the melting of glaciers and lead to mountain torrents.
So far, Pakistan has reported that 65 people have been killed in the heat wave. "This is the first time in decades that Pakistanis have experienced a year without spring," Lehman, Pakistan's climate change minister, said in a statement
Global food prices may be pushed up by large-scale power outages and train outages
The continuous heat wave also had a serious chain reaction. Vox news pointed out that the most serious impact of extreme high temperature still falls on the poorest people, who do not have enough water, let alone use air conditioning and electric fans.
For those who have the conditions to use artificial refrigeration, the situation is not optimistic. At present, the surge in power demand and power grid pressure have led to power outages in two-thirds of households in India. It is reported that people have no electricity when they need refrigeration most.
CBS also pointed out that since 70% of India's electricity comes from thermal power plants, hundreds of passenger trains have been cancelled in order to make way for more coal trains, and the transportation system is facing a severe test.
The hot weather also exacerbated dust and ozone pollution, leading to a surge in the air pollution index of major cities in South Asia.
More worrying is that wheat production is also under threat. In India, about 60% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture, most of which are outdoor work. At present, India is in the wheat harvest season, and millions of people face the difficult choice of working in dangerous weather or giving up their livelihood.
Bloomberg pointed out that after the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, India is one of the few food producing countries that have the ability to alleviate the global wheat shortage, but the local harvest is being impacted by extreme heat waves. People familiar with the matter said that in order to ensure domestic supply, the Indian government is discussing restrictions on domestic wheat exports.
Timothy Darren, a senior researcher at the Indian Policy Research Center, warned that because of the heat wave, India may not be able to make up for the wheat supply gap caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Some analysts said that the global food prices, which have shown an upward trend, may be pushed higher.
Is climate warming the "culprit"? Expert: mankind will experience more severe hot weather
For South Asia, extreme high temperature weather is not uncommon. However, the current heat wave has attracted attention because of its early start, wide coverage and severity.
Vox News reported that the heat wave originated from the high pressure system formed over the South Asian subcontinent. This system compresses and heats the air while compressing the clouds. If there are no clouds above, the sun will shine directly on the ground, taking away the water that would have helped to cool the air. As the pressure increases, the Sun continues to scorch the ground and heat waves form.
Mohapatra, an official of the Indian meteorological department, said that the reduction of precipitation was one of the key factors causing the heat wave. The rainfall in northwest India decreased by about 89% in March and nearly 83% in April. He also said that the local weather will continue to experience higher than normal temperatures in May.
Scientists point the "culprit" to global warming.
CBS quoted Mishra, a meteorological scientist, as saying, "there is no doubt that climate change has played a role, although we must consider other factors."
Mishra said that mankind will experience more severe extreme high temperature weather in the next 20 to 30 years, and the recent heat wave in India is only a "microcosm". "There is no doubt that future heat waves will occur more frequently and last longer, covering a larger area of the Indian subcontinent... And will affect water supply, agriculture, commerce and energy demand," he added
The report also quoted a report from the Ministry of Earth Sciences of India as saying that by the middle of the 21st century, the average frequency of summer heat waves in the country will increase to about 2.5 times a year, and will further increase to about 3 times by the end of this century.
Vox news also pointed out that scientists have long warned that more frequent and extreme heat waves are one of the most direct consequences of rising global average temperatures.
For the threat of heat wave, vox believes that there is no quick or simple solution at present, because climate change is a long-term problem that has been brewing for more than a century. It will take decades or even longer to adjust urban construction and economic structure alone. (end)