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DW
12-06-2025
- Climate
- DW
Northern India and Pakistan scorched by relentless heatwave – DW – 06/12/2025
Blistering heat has swept across northern India and Pakistan as temperatures soared past 45°C (113F), triggering health warnings and power outages. Light rain is expected to bring relief on Thursday evening. A severe heatwave held a grip on northern India and Pakistanon Thursday, with temperatures soaring above 45°C (113F) in major cities across both countries and prompting alerts from weather agencies on both sides of the border. Heatwave warnings in northern Indian states In Delhi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) website showed an average temperature of 34°C at 8.30 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Thursday. However, the heat index, a measure combining temperature and humidity, calculated the "feels like" temperature to be 45.3°C. The Hindustan Times newspaper reported Wednesday's temperatures between 40.9°C and 45°C across New Delhi, with the heat index peaking at 51.9°C. "The severe heat is expected to persist till Thursday. A western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from the night of June 13, which may bring light rain and thunderstorms in Delhi," a senior IMD scientist Naresh Kumar told the Press Trust of India news agency, according to Hindustan Times. The IMD has issued heatwave warnings across Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. People working outside are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves Image: Arun Sankar/AFP Power outages have been reported since Tuesday. In contrast, many parts of southern India are bracing for heavy rainfall. Pakistan expects hot and dry weather Across the border, in Pakistan, temperatures soared to 49°C in Bhakkar in Pakistan's Punjab province and Jacobabad in Sindh, the Dawn newspaper reported. The newspaper reported that the Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of continued extreme heat on Thursday saying "hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, while very hot in plain areas." In Punjab province hospitals were overwhelmed with heatstroke patients. Many Pakistani cities also faced power shortages, leaving many without any relief, even as the heatwave is expected to continue for several more days. Temperatures soar in Pakistan heat wave To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Possible health crisis in the making Health officials in both countries reported a spike in heatstroke cases, especially among outdoor workers, the elderly, and children, media reports said. Without immediate relief, officials in both countries warn the situation is escalating into a public health crisis. Last year, a prolonged heatwave across parts of India claimed over 100 lives and resulted in more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases, according to health ministry data cited by AFP. Edited by: Alex Berry
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Indians buy 14 million air conditioners a year, and need many more
The air worsened on Friday after a thunderous night of firecrackers lit as part of Diwali celebrations, despite city authorities last month banning their sale and use Pedstrians walk near the India Gate amid smoggy conditions after Diwali. Image: Arun Sankar/AFP Aarti Verma is about to join the growing ranks of Indians installing air conditioning, scraping together savings to secure relief from sometimes deadly temperatures that can reach nearly 50 Celsius. A record 14 million AC units were sold in India last year, with a ninefold increase in residential ownership forecast by mid-century. That will give millions safer and more comfortable conditions at work and home. But it will also drive demand for electricity that is generated mostly by burning climate-warming coal, and increase the hot AC exhaust air expelled into the country's stifling streets. For Verma, the priority is securing some immediate relief. Her sales and marketing work means she must visit multiple stores a day, battling blazing heat. "Coming home after a long day I want some comfort," said the 25-year-old, who earns 30,000 rupees ($350) a month and will pay 50,000 rupees ($584) to install air conditioning in her spartan two-room home. "Earlier I would sleep on the terrace, but these days it's so hot even in the night, AC has become a necessity," she told AFP in a poor neighbourhood of the capital Delhi. India is the world's fastest-growing AC market, despite only about seven percent of households currently owning units. The boom could mean the world's most populous country needs to triple electricity production to meet demand, experts say. The nation of 1.4 billion people is already the world's third-biggest producer of climate-warming greenhouse gases, burning through one billion tonnes of coal in 2024-25, according to a government statement. Brutal summer "AC penetration across India is primarily driven by weather conditions, a growing middle class, favourable consumer financing options and widespread electrification," said K.J. Jawa, the India chief of Japanese AC manufacturer Daikin. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading "Today, ACs are no longer regarded as a luxury indulgence, but a productivity and need investment –- as a good night sleep is imperative for our mental and physical wellness," he told AFP. Verma had to pay 13,000 rupees ($150) as a down payment, with the rest divided over monthly instalments. "I could have bought gold with that money which would have been a good investment but I gave priority to the AC," she said. According to the meteorological department, 2024 was India's hottest year since thorough records began in 1901, with sizzling temperatures following a global pattern of extreme weather driven by climate change. A heatwave in May 2024 in New Delhi saw temperatures match the capital's previous record high: 49.2 Celsius (120.5 Fahrenheit) clocked in 2022. The brutal summer heat can melt tarmac on the roads and puts millions of people at risk, with nearly 11,000 people dying due to heat stroke in India between 2012 and 2021, according to government data. Public health experts say the true number of heat-related deaths is likely in the thousands but because heat is often not listed as a reason on a death certificate, many casualties don't get counted in official figures. Ironically, the refrigerants inside AC units and the coal-generated electricity that powers them only exacerbate global warming. Widespread AC use also raises outdoor temperatures by expelling indoor heat. Studies -- including by the World Health Organization and UN-Habitat -- show that the heat-generating motors inside AC units can themselves push up temperatures in urban areas by a degree Celsius or more. Energy ratings Before buying an AC, Verma relied on a traditional air cooler -- a noisy fan-run device that blows cool air off water-soaked pads. But filling the cooler with water and making sure it did not become a haven for disease-carrying mosquitoes required great effort. Sales are brisk at Imperial Refrigeration in Delhi's old quarters, with a steady stream of customers braving the afternoon heat. Japsahib Singh Ahuja, 22, whose family owns the 50-year-old business, said sales have more than tripled in the last five years, thanks to first-time consumers and AC "replacement cycles". "ACs these days don't last long, because there are so many pollutants in Delhi air that lead to corrosion and gas leakage from the equipment," he explained. Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently top world rankings for air pollution. Air conditioning will account for a quarter of India's emissions and nearly half nationwide peak electricity demand by 2050, according to the UN Environment Programme's Cool Coalition. But India has so far declined to sign up to the coalition's Global Cooling Pledge to reduce the sector's climate impact. Still, there are signs of hope, with Indians increasingly buying energy-efficient AC units, according to Ahuja. Energy-saving inverter ACs now dominate the market, and companies set a default temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. "Energy ratings are now mandatory," said Ahuja. "We will surely see long-term benefits." AFP
IOL News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
IPL set to resume as discussions restart after ceasefire: reports
TOUGH WAIT Cricket fans stand outside the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on May 9, 2025, after the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament was suspended for a week following the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, the richest tournament in cricket, was suspended for one week on May 9 because of the conflict between New Delhi and Pakistan. Picture: Arun Sankar/AFP Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the BCCI, told Indian media that officials would meet on Sunday to decide the future course of action. Saikia added they will "take a call on IPL resumption after consulting all stakeholders of IPL and the concerned government authorities." Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan called a halt to hostilities on Saturday and Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) secretary Devajit Saikia told website cricbuzz they were "closely monitoring the evolving situation." India cricket board officials were reported to be meeting Sunday to discuss a quick resumption of the IPL , following India and Pakistan agreeing a ceasefire in their deadly border conflict. IPL Suspended Amid Rising Tensions Between India and Pakistan The Indian Premier League was on Friday suspended for a week, a day after a match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capital was abandoned in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the northern city of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier. A special train was arranged for players to return to Delhi on Friday as airspace was closed, while overseas stars began to head home on Saturday. Teams on Sunday were reported to be contacting their overseas players and coaching staff about returning, with website ESPNcricinfo saying the IPL could restart around May 15 if given the go-ahead by the government. There are 12 regular season games remaining to be played followed by three playoff matches and the final, originally scheduled for May 25. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three full-scale wars over Kashmir, a disputed territory that both claim in full but administer separate portions of since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. New Delhi launched missile strikes on Wednesday morning in retaliation for a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-run Kashmir two weeks ago that India blames on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any involvement. At least 60 people have been killed on both sides of the border since Wednesday, in the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbours. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
