Andhra Pradesh tops among all states in heat risk index: Study
Visakhapatnam: Though Andhra Pradesh did not experience a harsh summer this year, the state has been ranked first among all states in terms of the heat risk index in a recent report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
According to the study titled 'How Extreme Heat is Impacting India: Assessing District-level Heat Risk', every district in the state falls within the risk categories, with 62% classified at high and 38% at very high risks.
Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa, which have shared first place with Andhra Pradesh, also have 100% of their districts in either the high or very high risk categories. This contrasts sharply with the national average, where 57% of Indian districts, which is home to 76% of the country's total population, are currently at high to very high heat risk, according to the study.
Over the last 40 years, heat extremes have increased steadily, leading to severe heatwaves in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2024. However, in the past decade, the number of very warm nights has been rising faster than the number of extremely hot days.
AP also ranks the highest among Indian states in terms of heatwave impact, with about 1,000 heatwave days recorded between 1969 and 2019, each associated with at least one fatality.
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The combined impact of high temperatures, alongside socio-economic and health vulnerabilities, results in a heightened sensitivity to extreme heat. This is particularly evident among the large outdoor working population of the state, predominantly engaged in agriculture, making them more susceptible to heat stress.
The diurnal temperature range (the difference between the day time maximum and night time minimum temperature) has decreased across several districts of the state, particularly in the last decade compared to the climatic baseline (1982–2011).
Nearly 70% of the districts have experienced additional five 'very warm' nights per summer (March to June). Rising night time temperatures prevent the human body from cooling down after hot days.
Studies have linked a declining diurnal temperature range to increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Changes in DTR can also influence vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, as mosquito breeding cycles are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Urban heat islands (areas that trap heat during the day and release it at night) are likely contributing to this trend in the urban parts of the state like Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Tirupati, etc. According to experts, this will have serious health implications, particularly for the elderly, outdoor workers, children, and individuals with pre-existing conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, in both urban and rural settings.
The CEEW study also highlights that even traditionally cooler Himalayan regions, where heat thresholds are lower than in the plains and coastal areas, have experienced increases in both very hot days and very warm nights. For instance, in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the number of very hot days and very warm nights has risen by over 15 days and nights each summer. This could severely impact the fragile mountain ecosystems.
Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of CEEW, said, "We are entering an era of intense, prolonged heat, rising humidity, and dangerously warm nights. We must urgently overhaul city-level heat action plans to address local vulnerabilities, balance emergency response measures with long-term resilience, and secure financing for sustainable cooling solutions. Moreover, it is time to move beyond daytime temperature thresholds and act on what the data tells us—the danger doesn't end when the sun sets.
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