India's 'Summer' Has Become Worst In Last Two Decades

The sweltering heat continues to rise in India—as does the death toll. More than 2000 people have now died due to the scorching heat, mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. And, while this isn’t the deadliest of heat waves in recent years, Indian summers are becoming more severe, longer, and more frequent.

India’s “high temperature” (HT) days—with a maximum temperature of more than 37 degrees Celsius between the months of March and June—have sharply risen over the last four decades, according to a 2015 report by three Indian meteorological department scientists.