Intensifying Heatwaves: Climate Change Affects India in 2024

Thu Oct 30 2025 19:07:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent study by The Lancet reveals that climate change is significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in India, causing severe health and economic consequences.

According to The Lancet's 2025 report, almost one-third of heatwave days in India in 2024 were attributable to climate change, resulting in an estimated economic loss of $194 billion. The report highlights a concerning trend of increased heat-related mortality and worsening air quality across the country, emphasizing that the climate crisis directly impacts public health and livelihoods.

Almost one-third of the heatwave days India experienced in 2024 were driven by climate change, according to a new report by the medical journal The Lancet.

The report found that India recorded an average of 19.8 heatwave days last year, of which 6.6 days would not have occurred without human-induced climate change.

It also estimated that heat exposure in 2024 resulted in the loss of 247 billion potential labour hours, mostly in the agriculture and construction sectors, amounting to an economic loss of about $194 billion (£151 billion).

While heatwaves are not new to India, their frequency and intensity have been rising steadily over the past few decades because of global warming.

Prolonged exposure to extreme heat has serious repercussions on health. It can overwhelm the body's ability to regulate temperature, increasing the risk of dehydration, heatstroke, cardiovascular stress, and even death - particularly among the elderly, infants, and outdoor workers.

The 2025 Lancet Countdown report warns that the health risks posed by rising global temperatures are now more severe than ever.

Throughout last year,152 record-breaking extreme weather events were registered across 61 countries, and life-threatening, extreme heat events are becoming more intense than previously predicted, the report stated.

The climate crisis is a health crisis. Every fraction of a degree of warming costs lives and livelihoods, said Jeremy Farrar, assistant director-general for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care at the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report found that heat-related mortality has increased by 23% worldwide since the 1990s, with an average of around 546,000 deaths each year.

The report also mentioned that India's air quality has worsened over the past few years. Every year as winter sets in, the air quality in the Indo-Gangetic plains turns toxic. This year too, the air quality has remained between poor and very poor category - at times, reaching hazardous - for almost a month now.

The report noted that 1.7 million deaths in 2022 were caused due to atmospheric pollution, particularly because of the tiny PM2.5 pollutants that can cause serious health issues. Harmful emissions from burning fossil fuel led to 44% of these deaths.

It also highlighted the heavy reliance on biofuels such as wood, dung, and crop residue for cooking continues to claim thousands of lives across the country - especially among women and children in rural areas.

The report was released ahead of the COP30 summit, set to take place in Brazil next month.

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