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

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/29/delhi-temperature-hits-499c-as-indias-capital-records-hottest-day

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

83 points · 10 comments · view on lemmy.world

10 Comments

perestroika@slrpnk.net · 12 pts · 2y (1 reply)

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. :(

sinkingship@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 2y

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.

Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 2y (2 replies)

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.

pdxfed@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Haha that reeks of "those number don't help someone who can influence this" let's remeasure.

Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

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?"

lluki@feddit.de · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Wasn't that how "ministry for the future" started?

Goodtoknow@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 2y

yup, and climate scientists have known for years India would be one of the early and hardest hit nations/regions due to climate change

Gigan@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I saw one yesterday about a record heatwave in Pakistan. What causes such extreme heat in that region?

silence7@slrpnk.net · 13 pts · 2y

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

kozy138@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y

*Fossil fuel infrastructure goes vroom