India faces alarming 30% rise in moist heat stress over 40 years, affecting wide swath of country: IMD Study
increase in 'heat stress' due to high temperatures along with humidity over India, TOI has reported.
Describing this as 'moist heat stress', researchers have stated that its magnitude has risen by almost 30% in India over the past 40 years (1980-2020). The analysis has also shown a significant upward trend in the spatial range of areas facing heat stress in India.
The term 'Heat stress' denotes the physiological pressure on the body due to exposure to high temperatures, frequently coupled with high levels of humidity.
«Approximately 30-40% increase is noted in the number of locations spatially experiencing heat stress in India in the last 70 years (1951-2020). Specifically, the west coast, parts of Maharashtra, southern peninsular India and northwest India, including Rajasthan and Gujarat, have shown a strong increasing trend in heat stress since 1950,» senior IMD scientist Dr Rajib Chattopadhyay told TOI.
The study has also discovered that two primary patterns — dry or moist heat stress conditions — trigger heat waves across India. Dr Chattopadhyay also noted that these patterns are linked to the mid-latitude systems moving towards the Indian region or western disturbances.
«During periods of dry or moist heat stress conditions in the last 40 years, the average heat index values shot up by a staggering 4-5°C above the typical summer temperatures in various regions, such as central India, northwest India and more so in the east coast of the country,» he said.
«Even more alarming, the extremely high heat index
