On the other side of the world, western Canada reached 49.6 degrees Celsius with a historic heat wave – the source of the fire that particularly devastated the village of Lytton in British Columbia – suffocating tens of thousands of Indians, July 2, under extreme temperatures. The capital New Delhi has recorded its highest temperature since 2012.
Since 2010, severe heat waves have killed more than 6,500 people in the world’s second-most populous country; Scientists fear that this phenomenon will intensify due to climate change.
Daytime temperatures in Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi on Friday crossed 40 degrees for the fourth day in a row. It will alleviate heat in many parts of the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh located in northern India.
On Thursday, in New Delhi, the temperature reached 43.1 degrees, the hottest day in July since 2012. That year, the capital sweated below 43.5 degrees. On Friday, the thermometer recorded 41 degrees in this megalopolis of 20 million people.
On average, this year the temperature was seven degrees above normal and weather services called the situation “Severe extreme heat”.
According to forecast services, temperatures are expected to remain above 40 degrees next week due to the delay in monsoon, which will bring a warm breeze (loo) from the desert state of Rajasthan and Pakistan.
Air conditioners increase energy consumption
This extreme heat wave has led to an increase in electricity consumption, with air conditioners and fans running at full speed among more and more residents who own them.
According to forecasters, the monsoon season in Delhi will not start before July 7, the latest date since 2006. In 2015, a heat wave killed more than 2,000 people, a record.
Currently, only 5% of homes are equipped with air conditioners, up from 90% in the United States and 60% in China. But the market is already expected to explode in the coming years, increasing energy consumption in this country which is already the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
Cooling gases in air conditioners and their increased energy consumption make climate change worse. The country of 1.3 billion people is suffering from severe water shortages and tens of thousands of people are without running water.
At the same time, on the other side of the world, western Canada has also been hit by a historic heat wave. The village of Lytton in British Columbia was destroyed by fire when the temperature reached 49.6 degrees.
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