Delhi temperature hits 50.5C as India’s capital records hottest day | Authorities warn of water shortages as temperatures reach nine degrees higher than expected

www.theguardian.com

Delhi temperature hits 50.5C as India’s capital records hottest day

Years of scientific research have found the climate crisis is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.

10 comments

I don't even want to imagine 50 C. In sauna, it's dry and you manage 30 minutes by sweating. But living in a sauna sounds bloody awful.
Also, almost anyone with a med / bio background will say - emergency rooms will be full at 50 C, and morgues will be crowded a few days after the event. :(
- From the article:
  At the SMS hospital in Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur, so many bodies of casualties of the heat have arrived at the mortuary that its capacity has been exceeded.
That's 122.9°F for those who can't feel in Celsius. It also rained a little in the morning and the humidity was about 45%.
I did a little check and the hottest day this week in Death Valley is supposed to be 113° tomorrow with about 9% humidity.
Just for comparison.
HOWEVER, news sources from India are now reporting that number to be an anomaly compared to still-excessive-but-not-a-record numbers from neighboring sensor stations. It could be from hot winds but possible it's a malfunction. Investigation ongoing.
- Haha that reeks of "those number don't help someone who can influence this" let's remeasure.
  
  Possible, although it was apparently more than a few degrees different from the others. And everyone seems to agree it's too damn hot, the only question is, "New High Score?"
Wasn't that how "ministry for the future" started?
- yup, and climate scientists have known for years India would be one of the early and hardest hit nations/regions due to climate change
I saw one yesterday about a record heatwave in Pakistan. What causes such extreme heat in that region?
- Several things in combination:
  It's sufficiently close to the equator
  Topography limits air circulation
  heat dome
  Dumping the waste from fossil fuel burning into the atmosphere raised it above where temperatures used to get
- *Fossil fuel infrastructure goes vroom

10 comments