What if the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century is not a flood, earthquake, cyclone, or drought, but the silent, unremitting increase in temperature? Heat waves are no longer a seasonal inconvenience; they are a major public policy challenge. They threaten economic productivity, particularly for informal workers; increase health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; reduce staple crop yields; disrupt food supply chains; and hinder sustainable development.

According to the IMD report for June 2026, Sriganganagar in Rajasthan experienced the highest maximum temperature of 45.1°, but the same place recorded 48° during 2025. The year 2025 is recorded as the eighth warmest year, with a rise of 0.28° from the 1991-2020 average temperature; however, 2026 is considered the hottest year, with widespread and prolonged heatwaves with massive consequences. In April 2026, on a single day, India set an unwanted record, where all fifty of the world’s hottest cities were in the country. By May, this figure had increased to 97 out of the top 100, with Balangiri in Odisha recording a breach of 48 degrees Celsius.

The Urban Heat effect has been significant in metropolitan cities due to dense construction, industrial waste, and glass-fronted buildings, causing a rise in temperature of 2° to 3°. Reports indicate a similar rise in northern, central, and western states, with severe alerts in Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. According to the WHO, temperature, frequency and intensity of heat waves will rise in the 21st century as a result of climate change. High air temperatures can affect human health and cause additional deaths.

The impact of heat waves on health can extend beyond direct heat-related illnesses like heat stroke, dehydration, respiratory and cardiovascular issues, and hyperthermia, abnormal high body temperature caused by the body’s inability to regulate heat. Heat waves also trigger indirect health risks by increasing the probability of snake bites, vector-borne diseases and human-wildlife conflicts as extreme heat alters animal behaviour, which drives animals from wildlife into places where humans live in search of water, food and cold enclosures. Reports indicate that........

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