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Can you imagine walking out of the house like walking into an oven? This summer, New Delhi, India, is experiencing such extreme heat torture, and actually set a high temperature record of 52.3°C, which makes many people sigh: Is this still the earth? Despite the annual heat, this year's heat wave has been particularly ferocious.
The continuous high temperatures and scorching sun have not only changed the daily life of Indians, but also brought various challenges to their survival. Why is it so hot in India? It's not just a matter of geography and climate, it's also a big factor in the heat.
Tortured by the scorching heat of 52.3°C
This year, the heatwave in northern India has been truly menacing. At the end of May, the temperature in New Delhi reached a record high of 52.3 degrees Celsius. Can you imagine what it would be like to walk in such weather? It's like a sauna all the time.
In addition, the temperature in Rajasthan, Punjab and other places is also approaching 50 degrees Celsius, and the entire northern region is scorched to the point of inadequacy. Life is undoubtedly difficult in such heat.
According to statistics, the number of people who died from heat stroke this year has exceeded 200. According to the Times of India, 25,000 people were hospitalized with heat stroke in India from March to May, and 211 of them eventually died from heat. Hospitals are receiving heat stroke patients almost every day.
For those who work outdoors, the situation is even more difficult. Gid Singh, a 42-year-old tricycle driver, has seen his business cut by a third because of the heat, and every time he gets out of the car feels like an adventure. But he still said helplessly: "In order to support my family, I have to go on the road." ”
There was also a worker in his 40s, Pliyansh Kakilbhai Patel, who was taken to the hospital late at night due to heat stroke and died tragically.
In the face of such high temperatures, power outages and water shortages make life extremely difficult. New Delhi residents often experience 20-30 power outages in a single day, and many have batteries in their homes to cope with such situations.
Moreover, due to the lack of electricity supply, air conditioners in many places can only be used as decorations. Nearly 40 monkeys drowned in an irrigation well in search of water in Jharkhand, illustrating how severe the heat has become.
Causes of heat
So, why is it so hot in India summer? Geographically, India is located in a tropical monsoon climate zone, which is divided into dry and rainy seasons. The dry season is the hottest from April to June, with average temperatures often exceeding 40°C in the northern summer, and the weather does not ease until the rainy season arrives.
The Himalayas block the cold air from the north, allowing the heat wave to stay here for a long time. In addition, urban planning in India is also an important factor. In the case of New Delhi, the city's vegetation cover is very low when viewed from above, resulting in a very pronounced heat island effect.
The so-called "heat island effect" simply means that the temperature in the city is higher than in the surrounding suburbs. Because of the dense construction of the city, the heat is not easy to dissipate, and the lack of vegetation makes it difficult to effectively cool down, which also makes it difficult to drop the temperature at night, which has a great impact on the health of residents.
Studies have shown that the average summer temperature in cities with high vegetation coverage can be 2-3°C lower than that of other cities, which can effectively alleviate the heat island effect. However, New Delhi is a city planned in 1911 and was designed with administrative functions and infrastructure in mind, leaving no space for parks and green space vegetation.
With the development of cities and the surge of population, the demand for construction land is increasing. High-rise buildings and infrastructure have sprung up, further crowding out already scarce green space. Not only does it make New Delhi hotter in the summer, but it also makes the air quality worse.
While the Indian government and environmental groups have been working hard to promote urban greening, there is still a long way to go.
How do Indians stay up in summer?
In the face of extreme high temperatures, air conditioning is undoubtedly the most direct cooling weapon. But in India, the penetration rate of air conditioning is very low, with less than 10% of households having an air conditioner.
This is mainly because air conditioning is still too a luxury for most Indians. In New Delhi, the average monthly income of the average worker and driver is 6,000-8,000 rupees (800-1,000 yuan). In many backward areas, most low-income residents earn as little as 3,000-5,000 rupees (300-500 yuan).
In India, only 1.8 per cent of people can earn 50,000 rupees (4,237 yuan) a month, and buying an air conditioner plus a monthly electricity bill is a huge expense for many families. At the same time, India's electricity supply is also very unstable, with frequent power outages and aging power grids, which make many people unable to use air conditioners even if they buy them.
So what should Indians do in the summer without air conditioning? In this regard, the Indian people are quite wise, and they can't afford to use electric air conditioners, so they invented "earth air conditioners".
This kind of earthen air conditioner is actually a tin box with a straw curtain, which is pumped to the curtain by a small water pump, and the fan blows through the moist curtain to bring a touch of coolness. Although the effect is limited, this simple device can also make a difference on a hot summer day.
In addition to earth air conditioning, Indians have many other cooling tricks. For example, go out fully armed and wear long sleeves and pants to avoid the sun on your skin and reduce water evaporation. At home, use thick curtains to block out the sun and keep the room relatively cool.
As the government water supply system often breaks down, water storage tanks are also a must-have in every Indian household, keeping them at home to cool down and prepare for emergencies.
end
In conclusion, this year's high temperature in India is not only the result of natural climate, but also the product of man-made factors. Unreasonable urban planning, lack of vegetation, and backward economic development are all leading to the aggravation of urban high temperature problems. This not only affects the daily life of residents, but also poses a challenge to the stability and development of society as a whole.
The noodles are hot, and the Indians have resorted to all kinds of "local methods", but this is only a stopgap measure after all. In order to improve the quality of life of the people in the long term, the Indian government still needs to pay more attention to environmental protection, promote urban greening, and improve infrastructure, increase electricity supply, and make air conditioning more affordable for more people, so that the society can develop better.
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