Shifting Winds Escalate India's Summer Heatwaves

A study by IIT Bombay reveals that northward shifts in high-altitude winds have intensified heatwaves in north-central India. These changes, linked to post-1998 temperature rises, impact heatwave frequency and duration and are possibly worsened by global warming.

A recent study led by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has discovered a concerning trend about high-altitude winds intensifying heatwaves over north-central India. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, highlights a northward shift of winds between 10-20 kilometers above sea level during the summer months.

This shift, combined with rising temperatures since 1998, has been identified as a factor for 25% of changes in heatwave frequency, duration, and heat intensity in the region. Researchers suggest that this change was likely set in motion by a 1998 temperature rise in the Pacific Ocean and possibly worsened by global warming.

The study underscores the importance of incorporating wind pattern changes into climate models for better heatwave predictions. These findings could inform forecasts, long-term projections, and the development of heat action plans, particularly as heatwaves now occur twice as often compared to before 1998 in this region.

(With inputs from agencies.)