May 23, 2038 - Indian heatwave shocks globe - written by ClimateBot
During a continued strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which draws thunderstorm activity away from India and towards the African continent, India is suffering its strongest heatwave ever. Temperatures have soared past 50C across wide sections of India, with wet bulb temperatures exceeding the critical 95F for over 200 million people over the past week.
Here's a sample of this catastrophic heat:
Kharagpur, India: 121F, 90F dew point, 95.9F wet bulb
Kolkata, India: 119F, 91F dew point, 96.4F wet bulb
Dumka, India: 122F, 88F dew point, 95.1F wet bulb
New record highs were set in over 1000 stations across the country, with the hottest temperature of this heat wave setting an all time global record high temperature of 133F at Gadegi, Pakistan. Twenty-eight stations across the Indian subcontinent have recorded temperatures above 130F, and over 95% of stations have recorded a temperature above 100F with the heatwave. Widespread temperatures of 120F+ continue today and are expected to continue throughout the next week for the Ganges plain.
Extreme loss of life has occurred even as people continue to work through the heat, with many simply dropping dead while going about their daily tasks. The total death toll for this heatwave is the highest verified for any heatwave worldwide, with so far a population greater than Phoenix at its peak succumbing to the fatal heat. Raipur, India has been hit hardest, with over 50% of their population dying of heat stroke.
In order to deal with the fatal heat and humidity, the Cuttack, Kolkata, and Kharagpur metropolitan areas have been completely shut down, with people being herded into air conditioned buildings in order to survive the heat. The economic losses so far are estimated to be the third largest climate disaster globally after Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. and the 2029 Europe floods, and are still climbing rapidly.
The monsoon continues to be delayed, with it only passing Sri Lanka as of present. The near-term forecast is not looking good for the country either, with a continued slow progression north through southern India.
some statistics on the heatwave:
Deaths: 1,647,822
Direct damage: $247 billion
Total economic cost (reduced productivity, etc): $1.85 trillion
Hottest temperature: 133F
Highest wet bulb: 97.8F (101F, 97.2F dew)
Highest dew point: 97.2F
Duration: 46 days
All temperatures above 130F (54.45C):
133, 132.4, 132, 132, 131.8, 131.8, 131.4, 131.4, 131.2, 131.2, 131.2, 131, 131, 131, 131, 131, 131, 131, 131, 131, 130.8, 130.6, 130.6, 130.2, 130.2, 130, 130, 130, 130
